Henry said Junior had a large open wound on the right side of his neck when she saw his body in the morgue. New York Police Department . Martin Goldberg, defense attorney for Jose Muniz who once cried in court during his arraignment said his client was made the poster boy for Juniors horrific death, because Muniz was seen carrying a machete. The OCME said Wednesday the teens death in the Belmont area of the Bronx was a stab wound to the neck, and classified the death as a homicide. (Obtained by NY Daily News). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ), It was shared millions of times on social media and in the general press. He makes it to the entrance of the hospital before collapsing. He was a skinny kid, just 120 pounds, 56 inches tall. The incident revealed the barbaric tactics of a gang called the Trinitarios, and it laid bare a glaring paradox: Amid historically low crime rates in New York, police are still struggling to contain brutal violence in some neighborhoods. Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. The indicted are due back in court Oct. 25. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. The ADAs argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Juniors neck the medical examiner says killed him. Goldberg hammered the medical examiner to get his point across that his client did not cause any physical injury to Junior, because a machete would have resulted in decapitation or mutilation. It brought cries for vengeance couched in the Justice for Junior slogan. Assistant District Attorney Morgan Dolan used her time to go into detail about what the five defendants are accused of doing trapping Guzman at the Bronx bodega and hacking him to death with a machete. Defense lawyers for the four other defendants said in their closing arguments that the order from Mr. Suero had only been to injure a Sunset member, not to kill someone. After Junior was stabbed outside the Bronx bodega, he is seen in surveillance video clutching his neck and attempting to run to the nearby hospital, where he eventually collapsed on a sidewalk and bled to death. Students and staff from the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health and Science Charter School gathered Friday to honor Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz, who was tragically stabbed to death in 2018. At least 10 people had been injured in June in a series of street battles. According to . LexisNexis Brief Analysis produces powerful, near-instant legal argumentation insights using the power of AI. In the video, we see the 15-year-old ask for the help from the worker of the Cruz and Chiky Grocery on E. 183rd St. in the Bronx. Since the violent attack, the communitys outpouring of love and support has been seen in a mural. We talked to police sources, family members and other witnesses. That night, Lesandro had left his home on Bathgate Avenue to lend a friend $5, his mother had said during an interview last year. All 14 suspects are reportedly members of the Sures set of the Trinitarios gang. She replied that the wounds they spoke of were superficial and that the only wound that caused his death was the one to his neck. WPIX reported that theyre charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and conspiracy. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Wounds to his hands believed to be caused by a sharp object, possibly a knife, were considered to be defensive wounds where Junior put his hands up to protect his face. I represented one of the Machete Monsters and I liked him. The first verdict was announced against Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, who delivered the fatal blow with a kitchen knife that ultimately killed Guzman a year ago next week. Then, Elvin Garcia, who police say is seen here wearing a mask. How Junior was killed follows a pattern of attacks by Trinitarios, a Dominican gang that was born in New York prisons. The media ran with the narrative, promoted by the prosecution and the family of the deceased, that the 15-year-old was killed in a case of mistaken identification by gangbangers, viciously stabbed by all of them and killed, Caesar-like, from the cuts of many wounds. They said that the store did not show good moral character. There is also a petition being spread around demanding the store get its license revoked. Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder, Defense hammers key witness on role in 'Junior' death. Its 11:37. The trial also included shocking revelations, including when it was learned that the self-proclaimed gang member who testified against the other five alleged Trinitarios members on trial could get off because of his testimony. At 11:35, a security camera films four cars driving slowly past the stoop where Juniors friend and some others were sitting. THE BRONX As they rested their case in the "Junior" murder trial Friday, prosecutors turned to the medical examiner who performed the teen's autopsy, offering graphic detail of the wound that. They carried weapons for two reasons for their own protection and to use them to hurt (not kill) a Sunset. Video showed the boy being dragged outside the bodega and set upon by a gang of men who hacked at him as he struggled to defend himself. But the owner appears to direct him away. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole on the murder conviction. The friend says he told Junior not to come over because it was late. The New York Post ran a front-page headline in bold caps,. 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Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. : Reach out just to catch up. The murder was just as horrific. After that, they will lead off summations. One of the Trinitarios, who turned cooperator and will now face no jail time, dragged Junior from the bodega where he was hiding and onto the street. 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What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? This 15-year-old boy, in the moments before his death, fought and fought like hell, Dolan said, according to the New York Daily News. Officer Kyle Oiwaka of the 48th Precinct took the stand on the 12th day of trial to testify about responding to a reported knife assault on the June 2018 night Junior was killed, and gave chilling details of the gory scene. The only injury that caused Juniors death was clearly the neck wound. A dozen alleged gang members were indicted July 18, with five charged with first degree murder, which includes torture, for the June 20 death of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz and could face life in prison without parole. The referrals are a nice bonus too, Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later, Enjoy. Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as 'Junior,' was mistaken for another person in a murder earlier this week described as "among the most brutal crimes I've seen in my 36yr career," New York . Mr. Sueros trial is expected to start soon. During the cops testimony, a white t-shirt completely saturated in the boys blood as well as blood-soaked boxers, a sock, and a blue zip-up sweatshirt designed with stars and stripes were shown to jurors. Get notified about exclusive offers every week! Junior then walks out of the bodega. On Monday, City Council members Ritchie Torres, Vanessa Gibson, and Rafael Salamanca wrote a letter to Department of Consumer Affairs asking that the bodega be shut down. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged out and then hacked to death by five men with machetes on June 20, 2018, in the Bronx. Juniors mother Leandra Guzman had to be escorted from the courtroom last week when she began screaming and shaking after viewing gruesome footage of her son being attacked by a group of alleged gangbangers. Nils Gerber and Stephen Ball, Stacks' attorneys, presented evidence and rested their case after about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The store owner unlocked a door leading to the area where Lesandro was hiding, Mr. Alvarez said, and told them to take the fight outside. A post shared by Robert Williams (@areumdawo_saja), Jury Finds All Five Defendants Guilty Of Murdering Bronx Teen Junior Guzman-Feliz, New Owners Of Bodega Where Junior Was Killed Want To Rename Store After Slain Teen, Bronx Street Renamed To Honor Slain Teen Junior, Bronx Bodega Where Teen Junior Was Attacked Reopens Temporarily, Legendary Jazz Saxophonist Wayne Shorter Has Died, White Student At Howard University Law School Sues for $2 Million Over Racial Discrimination, R. Kelly Sentenced to 20 Years For Child Sex Crimes, Family of Malcolm X Files $100 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against NYPD & Others. A dozen people appeared in court facing charges related to the death of 15-year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, who was killed in the Bronx. Juniors parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). If you have a machete, use the machete.. Investigators say the group mistook Guzman-Feliz, who was not affiliated with any gang, for a member of the rival fraction of the Trinitarios gang. A string of shootings across Chicago Wednesday left at least 10 people shot, and, according to police, at least half of those who suffered gunshot wounds were under the age of 16. They attempted to cast blame on Mr. Martinez Estrella for Lesandros death. The desperate teenager tried to hide inside of a bodega, but the gang members dragged him from the store and stabbed him to death as security cameras recorded the gruesome scene. Junior begins to run and the cars give chase. At the foot of the location I noticed a lot of blood, and people frantically screaming," Officer Oiwaka said about arriving at the entrance to St. Barnabas Hospital in Belmont, where Junior bleeding profusely from his wounds had collapsed in a frantic attempt to get help. Parked outside the bodega are the cars that chased Junior. As one defense counsel said in his summation, the biggest obstacle in this case for defendants was not the facts, it was the anger and the desire for retribution., The video of the killing was released to social media only hours after Juniors death. But its too late. Mr. Reyes said they falsely told the store owner that Lesandro had attacked his own grandmother. A warning: These next scenes are hard to watch, and weve obscured some graphic parts. Video: EXCLUSIVE: Race faker Jessica Krug hailed Bronx bodega murder of 15-year-old Junior Guzman a 'revolutionary moment' because 'he wanted to be a cop' and mistakenly claimed he was . We want to know your views on law firm policies and culture. A teenager hunted down and dragged from a New York City bodega, then swarmed by attackers outside. It was a lawyers argument (as the judges law clerk put it) intellectual, nitpicky not visceral. The friend says they felt things were getting dicey and went inside. We've received your submission. It was Mr. Suero who had sent them out on June 20, 2018, armed with machetes and knives, to search for members of Sunset to attack, the two cooperating witnesses said. We will never sell or share your information without your consent. I explained to her what happened and she told me that I had to come back and face my consequences, he said about confessing to his mom. THE BRONX He knew they had killed the wrong guy. dragged him from the store and stabbed him to death. The 15-year-old had already been pronounced dead inside the hospital, Officer Oikawa would later learn. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. GRAPHIC: CCTV and bystanders filming with their phones captured the gruesome Bronx bodega machete stabbing murder of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman by Trinitarios gang members. That isgonna stick with this jury for the rest of the weekend, he says. She described, in heartbreaking detail, how Guzman-Feliz looked up at her after the attack and motioned her to call 911. I dont want to see it again. . The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. Last week, court officers had to restrain and remove a screaming Leandra Feliz as Judge Robert Neary blasted her as hysterical.. Lesandro, who had hidden behind the counter, pleaded with the men, saying he was not the person they were looking for. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged out and then hacked to death by five men with machetes on June 20, 2018, in the Bronx. Now that the prosecution had rested its case, the defense can begin to question witnesses next week, and once that process is done, closing arguments will begin. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was murdered outside of a Bronx deli in 2019. Go after Sunset, you know what you have to do, Suero reportedly told the men. Hundreds attended his funeral last summer. Mr. Suero had warned his members to carry a weapon at all times and said if they saw a rival member to do whatever possible to hurt the Sunset member, Mr. Alvarez said. A Trinitarios ringleader, Diego Suero, issued the order to his minions, who then mistook Guzman-Feliz for a rival when they stabbed him to death outside a bodega June 20, 2018, cooperating witness and gang member Michael Sosa Reyes, 20, told Bronx Supreme Court jurors. This story has been shared 137,355 times. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. The night before Lesandro was killed, a large fight had erupted between the gangs, he said. After a weeks-long trial filled with emotional testimonies, chilling revelations and graphic photos, the jury reached a verdict in the Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz murder trial. The federal judiciary is getting more diverse. Alvarez, who testified last week as a cooperating witness, pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in a deal with Bronx prosecutors and is expected to serve no prison time. Frederick Then is the 14th person to be arrested in connection with the stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz in the Bronx last June. Yesterday lawyers for four of the suspects accused of stabbing 15-year-old . Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon "It was just starting," he said. The teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. Why do so many buy into a life that restricts their freedom, imposes beatings for disobeying gang rules, and calls for violence to others? The blood-soaked clothes worn by slain Bronx teen Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz as he was hacked at by a machete-wielding mob were displayed to jurors at the boy's murder trial Thursday,. Guzman-Felizs memory has also been honored through the renaming of a street and a summer camp at a state park, as well as prompting the Safe Haven Bodega program in the city. She said she watched the attack from an apartment window and ran downstairs to try to help. The five men who viciously slashed a New York teenager to death with . (L-R) Leandra Feliz and Lesandro Guzman, the mother and father of Lesandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz, leave Bronx Supreme Court after the arraignments of 12 alleged Trinitarios gang members in July 2018. But what the autopsy report meticulously documented was that Junior suffered minor physical injury, superficial wounds, no bigger than a lentil, except for a large wound to his neck. Seeing his sons clothing proved too much to bear for Juniors father, Lesandro Guzman, who left the courtroom shortly after Oikawas testimony. Junior is on summer break from school. Heres How To Get Yours Right. The footage went viral and with it, rumor and speculation about why the 15-year-old boy known as Junior was singled out. A jury began deliberating Thursday on the five mens fates. Putting four young men in jail for life for a murder they didnt intend (each was either running away, or nowhere near Junior when Estrella inflicted the fatal wound) should thrill no one. "See what happens with those killers," said Leandra Feliz. The cars then split up and appear to surround him. Crime Scene Unit Det. Man arrested for stealing fire department truck:, Coincidence prompted Powerball winner to buy ticket, Two women attacked from behind by group: NYPD, Moose on the Loose: Battle to become Yankees shortstop, Pop-up grocery store opens in Greenwich Village, Expert raises awareness about eating disorders, NY Rep. Dan Goldman talks House ethics probe into, What to know about teens and their mental health, Read Across America Day kicks off at NYC bookstore, Womens History Month: Highlighting women in medicine. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. But the glee I saw in the eyes of spectators at the reading of straight convictions for Murder I was not founded. THE BRONX As they rested their case in the Junior murder trial Friday, prosecutors turned to the medical examiner who performed the teens autopsy, offering graphic detail of the wound that killed the 15-year-old almost a year ago. Nine others charged in the killing are awaiting trial. If you have a knife, you stab. How do you protect your children from predators? Once that video was out, it took on a life of its own causing the defendants to lose the presumption of innocence and any chance for a fair trial (at least that close in time to the event itself under one year. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Guzman-Feliz for a rival when they stabbed him to death, Last defendant convicted in 2018 killing of Bronx teen Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz, 5 gang members plead guilty to killing of Bronx teen, 16 members of violent Trinitarios gang charged with high-end NYC robberies in sweeping indictment, Two gang leaders convicted in murder of Junior Guzman-Feliz, Trinitarios were driving around looking for Sunset members, Juniors mom at one point screaming and sobbing in court. Heres how Lexis Search Advantage | Transactional unites internal and external research to create better deals faster. An order had come from Mr. Suero, he said: Go after Sunset you already know what you have to do., Mr. Reyes said he understood that to be an order to do any kind of damage. (Jefferson Siegel/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS). (Obtained by New York Daily News ). Its alleged that defendant Jonaiki Martinez Estrella plunged the knife into Juniors neck near the end of the 20-second attack. His English was poor. Prosecutors introduced three clips of video. Ultimately, he was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. : Enjoy. Five gangbangers are on trial for the murder of the 15-year-old in the tragic case of mistaken identity. Closing arguments proved to be just as emotional, as some jury members shed tears. There, leaders passed around cellphone pictures of various Sunset members and asked the returning soldiers to identify the person they stabbed. But it was Mr. Martinez Estrella who delivered the fatal blow when he shoved a large knife into the side of Lesandros neck, penetrating 4.5 inches and cutting his jugular vein, a medical examiner testified. The case grabbed the attention of New Yorkers and across the nation, given that the brutal machete killing of the 15-year-old boy that took place inside a Bronx bodega in the summer of 2018 was captured on surveillance. The defense attorney for the man who allegedly dealt that throat cut took offense at that. He leaves and immediately three other men enter. They probablywon't forget itfor the rest of their lives.. 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Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. WNBC reported that the grisly images brought some of the jurors to tears. Junior then comes back to the store bloodied. Dr. Rodriguez confirmed what was already revealed in her report: that Juniors cause of death was a stab wound to the neck that came from a knife 4 1/2 inches in depth cutting his jugular vein.. This 15-year-old boy, moments before death, fought like hell to get away, said Dolan. He was then stabbed and hacked to death with machetes by several attackers after being mistakenly identified. In recent months, turf wars have spiked among rival Trinitario factions. Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, who went by the nickname Junior, was a member of the Police Department's Law Enforcement Explorers program before he was killed last year. Privacy Center | Mr. Reyes testified that Lesandro responded by raising his hand and saying Que lo siete, which Mr. Reyes said signaled that the teenager was a Sunset member. Just 20 minutes later, Junior is pronounced dead as a result of a stab wound to the neck. Kevin Alvarez, third from left, and Elvin Garcia, both members of the Trinitarios gang, appearing before a judge in 2018. The attention this case brings to the heinous nature of gangs is important. Is that why Junior was targeted? Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. When The Founder Of SCOTUSblog Calles It Quits, You Know Something Is UP: 5 is a tough crowd, 6 is a waste of time. "A bright, beloved, athletic, soon-to . The blood-soaked clothes worn by slain Bronx teen Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz as he was hacked at by a machete-wielding mob were displayed to jurors at the boys murder trial Thursday, prompting several spectators to burst into tears and his anguished father to exit the courtroom. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. That order came during a bloody feud within the Trinitarios that had pitted Sunset, which is based in Brooklyn, against Mr. Sueros two Bronx sets, the witnesses said. If they did not participate, the lawyers said, they would have been disciplined. Fourteen men have been criminally charged in connection with Guzman-Felizs slaying.