Justice for ‘Junior’: where in fact the Lesandro Guzman-Feliz murder instance stands now
Thursday could be the anniversary that is one-year of “Junior” Guzman-Feliz’s death.
The gang-related killing of 15-year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz twelve months ago delivered shock waves through their Bronx community, as relatives and buddies mourned the increased loss of a kid” that is“sweet had imagined to become a authorities detective.
The NYPD arrested 14 suspects, living as much as its vow of making “no stone that are unturned the research to the slaying of Guzman-Feliz, who had been affectionately called “Junior.”
On June 14, the five males accused of fatally stabbing the teen had been found accountable of very very first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang attack. Eight other suspects, that are accused of involved in the attack but did stab Guzman-Feliz, n’t are now being tried individually. One suspect pleaded accountable within the case and it is cooperating using the prosecution.
NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill has credited the arrests to your public’s “unrivaled help” as well as an “outpouring of nonstop assistance” in case.
A mural of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz on East 184th Street and Bathgate Avenue into the Bronx on July 3, 2018. Picture Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon
Continue reading for more information about Guzman-Feliz together with aftermath of their death.
The attack on Guzman-Feliz was evidently a full situation of mistaken identity
On June 20, 2018, surveillance video clip captured men that are several Guzman-Feliz away from a bodega on East 183rd Street into the Belmont element of the Bronx and over and over repeatedly stabbing him within the throat and human body with knives and a machete.
Following the suspects fled, Guzman-Feliz were able to run to St that is nearby Hospital, where he collapsed in the entry and passed away. The town examiner’s that is medical stated he passed away of a stab injury to your throat and ruled their death a homicide.
Police believe the killing ended up being associated with intra-gang violence and that Guzman-Feliz had been erroneously targeted. The teen had left their home to give some one $5 and encountered the suspects on their long ago house, NYPD officials stated.
The suspects, thinking the teenager had been a part of the competing faction of these gang, chased Guzman-Feliz in to the bodega after which dragged him out onto the sidewalk before stabbing and slashing him, in accordance with authorities.
Guzman-Feliz’s death quickly caught the eye of high-ranking NYPD officials, including Chief of Department Terence Monahan, whom called it “among the most brutal crimes” he’d ever seen. Detectives vowed to root down everybody included and hold them accountable.
3 days following the slaying, the very first suspects had been arrested. For the 14 males who will be charged, five have now been convicted of fatally stabbing Guzman-Feliz. One other nine suspects are accused to be active in the life-threatening criminal activity.
Here you will find the 14 suspects plus the fees against them:
- Manuel Rivera, regarding the Bronx: Guilty of very very very first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang attack.
- Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, for the Bronx: Guilty of very first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang attack.
- Elvin Garcia, of Manhattan: Guilty of very very first- and murder that is second-degree conspiracy and gang attack.
- Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, of Freeport: Guilty of very first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang attack.
- Jose Muniz, associated with Bronx: Guilty of very very very first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang assault.
- Diego Suero, associated with the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang attack, conspiracy and possession that is criminal of tool.
- Frederick Then, of checking, Pennsylvania: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang attack, conspiracy and unlawful control of the gun.
- Ronald Urena, regarding the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang attack, conspiracy and possession that is criminal of gun.
- Luis A. Cabrera Santos, associated with Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and unlawful control of a gun.
- Danilo Payamps Pacheco, regarding the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and possession that is criminal of tool.
- Gabriel Ramirez Concepcion, for the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and unlawful control of the tool.
- Jose Taverez, of this Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and unlawful control of the gun.
- Danel Fernandez, associated with the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and unlawful control of the gun.
- Kevin Alvarez, associated with Bronx: Charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and unlawful control of the gun. He pleaded accountable and testified against five regarding the primary defendants accused of fatally stabbing Guzman-Feliz.
The murder test
Guilty – that has been the jury’s verdict resistant to the five males who delivered the deadly blows to Guzman-Feliz.
The test, which started may 6, stumbled on an in depth on 14 after less than two days of jury deliberations june. Jose Muniz, Elvin Garcia, Manuel Rivera, Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago and Jonaiki Martinez Estrella had been discovered bad of very very first- and murder that is second-degree conspiracy and gang assault.
The victim’s mother, Leandra Feliz, thanked God when it comes to verdicts that are guilty. “My son had been a kid that is good. He had been just 15 years of age. He was doing the very best when you look at the educational school,” she said at a news meeting not in the Bronx Supreme Court building.
Through the first complete time regarding the test, Tamika Jones, 21, testified that she witnessed the assault from her apartment screen and shouted for Guzman-Feliz to perform towards the nearby medical center.
“By the full time we got downstairs, he had been currently at the medical center, collapsed,” Jones said. “He had blood all over their human anatomy. He had been wanting to remain alive, keeping their injury himself. His words that are last water — he asked for water.”
Through the second week of testimony, Feliz started“no that is screaming no, no” and crying hysterically until she had been escorted through the courtroom, relating to published reports.
The event apparently took place while Alvarez had been cross-examined by a protection lawyer. Feliz told Information 12 The Bronx that her blood pressure levels rose whenever surveillance video clip of her son had been played that showed Alvarez grabbing at her son following a counter was opened by a bodega worker home near where he had been hiding.
An ambulance had been called into the courthouse but she had not been taken up to a medical center, relating to published reports. She was apparently expected to go out of the courtroom on another occasion for talking away during test testimony.
Guzman-Feliz’s daddy additionally apparently needed to keep the courtroom throughout a split event, after their son’s blood-soaked clothes had been presented as proof.
“I saw my son’s bloody T-shirt and we never wish to notice it once again,” Lisandro Guzman told reporters away from courthouse.
Suspected people in the Trinitarios gang
The suspects are purported users of the Los Sures collection of the Trinitarios road gang, in line with the NYPD.
In the nights Guzman-Feliz’s death, the team collected at Suero’s Boston path house and planned to strike another group of Trinitarios, called Sunset, authorities stated. Suero could be the suspected frontrunner of Los Sures, relating to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark.
The suspects piled into four vehicles and drove to your territory regarding the gang that is rival come upon Guzman-Feliz and chased him in to the bodega, Clark said.
After the stabbing, the suspects went returning to Suero’s house to full cover up their weapons which help Garcia, whoever hand ended up being cut throughout the assault, according to Clark.
The region lawyer also dispelled past posted reports that reported Guzman-Feliz was erroneously targeted due to an intercourse tape with a lady related to one of many suspects.
“As far even as we understand, at the moment, there is no regards to any intercourse tape for this specific situation,” Clark stated. “That had been said on social media but that features perhaps not been the info that people have actually inside our instance.”
Shea has said the Trinitarios were proven to the division before Guzman-Feliz’s death. Since that time, police have actually arrested at the least 79 purported Trinitarios members over the populous town, mostly on felony fees, in accordance with Shea.
“This ended up being one significant situation involving Trinitarios, but we’re planning to continue steadily to target maybe maybe perhaps not just the Trinitarios but any road gang that is tangled up in physical physical violence in nyc,” Shea included.
The NYPD connection
An organization that aims to teach teens and young adults the importance of respect, self-discipline and furthering their education through training and community service projects before his death, Guzman-Feliz had aspired to become a police detective and was a member of the NYPD’s Explorers program.
The NYPD plus the Police Foundation have actually put up a scholarship honoring Guzman-Feliz. The Lesandro Guzman-Feliz Memorial university Fund will give you two $5,000 scholarships each to members of the Explorers program to be used toward tuition and school supplies upon enrollment in an accredited college year.