He attended Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School. The five men sentenced on Friday were found guilty of murder and gang assault in June after a five-week trial in State Supreme Court in the Bronx that provided a look inside the workings of the Trinitarios, a highly organized and brutally violent gang. Lesandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz was stabbed to death by men with machetes on June 20, 2018, in the Bronx, outside the Cruz and Chiky Grocery store on the corner of E. 183rd St. and Bathgate Ave. in Belmont. The following nine suspects were charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Muniz admitted he was there, but had no role in the teens death. She. His mother Leandra Feliz demanded his sons killers be held accountable, starting a Justice for Junior campaign that spread nationwide along with the stomach-turning video of his murder. The killing, captured on video, rattled New Yorkers like few in recent memory: A 15-year-old boy frantically ran into a deli and begged a clerk to let him hide behind the counter. Guzman-Felix bled to death, she testified. Two others Gabriel Ramirez Concepcion, 30, Danilo Payamps Pachecho, 26 were sentenced to 12 years. Three men Danel Fernandez, 21; Jose Muniz, 21 and Santiago Rodriguez, 24 accused in the killing of Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz have been isolated from other inmates because of threats made against them, sources said. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Also Friday, two suspects Ronald Urena, 33, and Jose Tavarez, 26 were sentenced to 15 years. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Former NYPD Chief (Retd.) Several of the suspects had fled to New Jersey, while others were caught in the Bronx. I am not sure you sense the magnitude of what youve done., Before Justice Neary handed down the sentences, Lesandros parents gave emotional speeches describing their loss. The 14 suspects accused in thefatal stabbingof Lesandro Junior Guzman-Felizin the Bronx are facing justicenearly a year after the teenager was murdered. Five members were convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced in October 2019 for Juniors homicide. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. You will never have the ability to understand the pain you have caused, Mr. Guzman told the convicted men. Muniz was the one who started the assault with weapons on the bodega sidewalk, but added, I did not kill him. [1] While out, he noticed four vehicles and became alarmed. You disgraced your family and the judge said it was troubling that Muniz yelled Trinitarios to the death as he left court on the day of the verdict. The death occurred in a case of mistaken identity. A hashtag, #justiceforjunior, was created and went viral on social media outlets such as Twitter and Instagram. "You will never have the ability to understand the pain you've caused when you. This story has been shared 658,628 times. Bronx County District Attorney Darcel Clark said that Guzman-Feliz had no ties to any gang activity. Junior Guzman Verdict: 5 Trinitarios Sentenced to Life in Hacking of Teen, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/nyregion/junior-guzman-feliz-trinitarios.html. The lawyer also fumed about one of the Star prosecution witnesses, Kevin Alvarez, He was fatally wounded by a stab to the neck that was 4/ inches deep, a pathologist told. According to the surveillance feed, heeven lost his sandal on the way before seeking refuge in the Cruz and Chiky store, a Bathgate Avenue bodega near his home. The defendants in the killing of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz shortly before their sentencing on Friday. Muniz said it had nothing to do with a woman or a sex tape. What is the Mayors plan to deal with them before a Correction Officer loses his or her life?. Mr. Muniz, who at his last court appearance had shouted out that he was a Trinitario until death, also said that he felt no remorse for Lesandros death, though he offered an apology to the Dominican community and his family for staining their reputations. The judge also added that it was troubling to him when Muniz shouted at the court Popote, hasta la muerte or Trinitarios until death when he was convicted in June. Two ringleaders in the killing Diego Suero and Frederick Then were convicted of murder and sentenced in September to 25 years to life in prison. Also in October 2019, convicted killer Jose Muniz who hacked Junior with a machete and co-defendants Elvin Garcia and Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago were sentenced to 25 years to life. Every time those four inmates at Rikers need any kind of service, be it medication, commissary, dentist, medical, they are escorted by two corrections officers and a captain recording them with a handheld camera. To get a pair of high-waisted jeans that are as comfortable as they are fashionable, find a pair with added elastane, Lycra or spandex. Eight other defendants in the case are still awaiting trial. I do not know what its like to lose a child, Muniz, who also spoke in Spanish, told the court. Our prosecution against all 13 defendants involved in the murder ends today, said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. Suero, of the Bronx, is the suspected leader of the "Los Sures"set of the Trinitarios gang, according to the Bronx district attorney. With all the surveillance feed at their disposal, the NYPD turned toward the RTCC for identifying the perpetrators, using cutting-edge facial recognition technology. The videos went viral, with people starting hashtag campaigns on the internet, and the mounting pressure on the perpetrators helped the police catch a breakthrough in the case within four days of the stabbing. The authorities also posted the screengrabs of the attackers on social media, seeking help from the public in identifying them and a reward of $25,000 for information leading to arrests. Jos Muniz, one of five men found guilty of fatally stabbing Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega last summer, sent a guard to the hospital with a dislocated shoulder after he allegedly attacked him Tuesday night, according to law enforcement sources. Guzman-Felizs killers mistook him as a member of a rival gang, but the boy was just an innocent teenager. Leandra Feliz, mom of Junior, during impact statement. 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One of the suspects accused of killing Bronx teen Lesandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz was slashed in the face by a rival gang member inside a Rikers Island housing unit Tuesday, the Daily News has. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Gangbangers first-degree murder conviction overturned in brutal machete slaying of Junior Guzman-Feliz, Last defendant convicted in 2018 killing of Bronx teen Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz, 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. He is seen in a red hat in the video. It was important to get the information out throughout the country, so these individuals could never run.. A sixth suspect, Luis Cabrera Santos, 29, was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison, the DAs office said. THE BRONX Jose Muniz said I want the truth to be known.. But the one that often comes to my mind is cowardly.. [15] He attended the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School, where he was a sophomore. [33], "EXCLUSIVE: Videos public hasn't seen show 'Junior' was chased for blocks before he was trapped in Bronx bodega", "Family calls for boycott of bodega where teen was fatally stabbed", "Bronx Bodega Owner Says He Tried To Shield Lesandro Guzman-Feliz; Video Released", "Bodega Owner Tearfully Recalls Machete Victim: 'So Scared', "The moment a teen is pulled out of a store and fatally stabbed", "NYPD reviewing video of Guzman-Feliz collapsing outside hospital", "NYPD probing whether cops sat by as dying teen bled out in Bronx machete attack", "Gang leader 'sorry' after innocent teen is butchered in street", "Murderous gang apologizes for brutal machete slaying of Bronx teen, victim's relative says", "12 suspects in Bronx teen's murder appear in court", "Lesandro Guzman-Feliz Bio, Biography, Age, Sister, Mother, Stabbing Video and Death (15 Years Old)", "Hundreds Gathered at a Bronx Bodega to Remember Slain Teen", "Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, el dominicano de 15 aos asesinado a machetazos en el Bronx cuya muerte estremece a Estados Unidos", "Friends, family honor the life of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz", "Farewell to 'Junior': Funeral for slain Bronx teen", "Thousands of People Attended Bronx Teen Lesandro Guzman Feliz's Funeral", "Hundreds attend funeral for innocent teen viciously killed by gang", "NYPD to honor slain Bronx teen with scholarship in his name", "Bronx street dedicated to 'Junior' on mom's birthday: 'It's something that will make him feel close to me', "Justice for Junior: Street in the Bronx renamed in honor of slain Bronx teen Junior Guzman-Feliz", "Eleventh suspect arrested in killing of Bronx teen", "12th and final suspect wanted in 'Junior' killing arrested in Connecticut", "8th arrest in fatal stabbing of Bronx teenager outside bodega", "7of 8 suspects appear in court in brutal murder of innocent 15-year-old boy", "Suspect in Bronx teen's murder slashed in the face at Rikers Island by rival gang member", "The Junior Files Part 1: New videos show Bronx teen trying to outrun gang street chase", "Justice comes for Junior: Jury finds all 5 gang members GUILTY of first-degree murder in clean-sweep verdict", "Verdict in Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz trial: All five defendants found guilty of first-degree murder in case that broke city's heart", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Lesandro_Guzman-Feliz&oldid=1145837767, Intersection of Bathgate Avenue and East 183rd Street, New York City (, This page was last edited on 21 March 2023, at 07:38. Danel Fernandez, 21 at time of arrest In thesurveillance video, he is seen in a black T-shirt. The graphic footage of the killing sent shockwaves through the country and the world. [2] Eventually, Guzman-Feliz sought refuge in a bodega at Bathgate Avenue and East 183rd Street in Belmont, Bronx, near his residence. . In addition, the gang leader expelled the killers from the gang as a result of this mistaken-identity killing. caught-on-camera knife-and-machete slaying, Jonaiki Martinez Estrella was sentenced in October 2019, Cold case slay solved 30 years after 15-year-old NYC girl found strangled with her own bra : Just glad he got caught (EXCLUSIVE), Aerosmith announces farewell tour with multiple New York concerts, Education panel to vote on controversial proposal to move NYCs Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Ive never seen an entire unit dedicated to just three suspects, a source told PIX11. The most effective tool we have in protecting both Correction Officers and inmates from other inmates is punitive segregation. Another photo shows suspect Manuel Rivera from the back, his curly hair dyed platinum blonde, playing cards at a table with other inmates. Muniz, of the Bronx, was the first to stab Guzman-Feliz, striking him multiple times with a machete, according to reports and surveillance video of the attack. Certain words come to mind when I think about your involvement, he said. Jonaiki Martinez Estrella was sentenced in October 2019 to life in prison without parole on a murder charge. They are staying by themselves in a Rikers Island jail unit meant to hold 50 inmates. fatal stabbingof Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz, Wine Enthusiasts Sip of South America Tasting Event, Bombay Sapphire Saw This, Made This Installation, Young boy fatally shot by cop 50 years ago honored at South Jamaica, NYPD officer who was shot while washing car dies after 30 years in a coma, Woman groped repeatedly while riding Q60 bus in Sunnyside: NYPD, Diamonds in the rough? Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, 25, Jose Muniz, 23, and Elvin Garcia, 25, were all sentenced to 25 years to life. They were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in September 2022. In victim impact statements, read in unwavering Spanish, they let the courtroom know the depth of their unending grief. Ronald Urena; Luis Cabrera Santos, 29; Gabriel Ramirez Concepcion, 30, and Danilo Payamps Pacheco, 26, pleaded guilty on Wednesday. NEW YORK -- (WPIX) -- An entire unit meant to house 50 inmates at Rikers Island has been set aside for three of the men accused of killing 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz at a Bronx bodega, a high-ranking jail source told PIX11 News Tuesday. Mr. Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago refused to speak before his sentencing, offering no apology nor a plea for mercy. Front page of the New York Daily News on Oct. 12, 2019: Machete Fiends Get Hard Time -- Judge throws book at Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz' killers. Eight others are awaiting trial. [7], The incident was captured on CCTV video inside the shop, as well as on cell phone video taken from an overhead angle by a resident of one of the building's upper floors. All five gang members were convicted of all four charges each had faced: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, second-degree conspiracy and second-degree gang assault. Video surveillance showed the men dragging Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz out of a Bronx bodega on his back and stabbing him with long knives and a machete. In the same way the videos of their violence went viral the punishment should be equal so that the New York City can be safer for everyone., The mom said her son, who was in the NYPDs Explorers program, dreamed of becoming a detective so he can protect this city.. Rivera, of the Bronx, stabbedGuzman-Feliz multiple times. The dying boy, with a lethal wound to his neck, bled out on the sidewalk outside St. Barnabas Hospital. Theyre not meant to treat viruses, however. This story has been shared 658,628 times. Two became cooperating witnesses. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. . The prisoners have received death threats. He was a member of the NYPD Explorer program, an organization aimed at young people interested in law enforcement careers. Lesandros mother, Leandra Feliz. [11] Police indicated, though, that the alleged killers, all members of the Trinitarios subset "Los Sures", mistakenly believed that Guzman-Feliz was a member of the rival gang "Sunset". As they were driving in four vehicles in Sunsetterritory, they encountered 15-year-old Guzman-Feliz. 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According to the latest news, a purported gang member, Danel Fernandez, rejected his plea deal in November 2022. Savage is another word. Photo Credit: NYPD. June 20, 2018. The 15-year-old Guzman-Feliz, ran into the bodega after being chased by the group at around midnight. Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, 24 at time of arrest. Suero was identified as the leader of Los Sures subset of the Trinitarios gang. Two of the five men convicted in the savage Bronx slaughter of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz showed no remorse during their sentencing Friday as they smirked for the camera and threw up. Two gang leaders were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison Friday for their role in the brutal killing of 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz in 2018. When the other men rushed over toGuzman-Feliz with machetes and knives, Alvarez said he backed off and "was scared of what was about to happen," the Times report said. The shocking viral video of the attack left the Bronx community and the world horrified at such complete disregard for human life.. The six defendants pleaded guilty to manslaughter in November and December. The teen wanted to be a police. A vigil was held Monday to honor the life of 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz who was killed three years ago in a brutal gang attack outside a Bronx deli. Front page of the New York Daily News on Oct. 12, 2019: Machete Fiends Get Hard Time -- Judge throws book at Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz' killers. [13], The killing of Guzman-Feliz was purportedly a case of mistaken identity of a teen who was part of a rival gang. Jose Muniz was sentenced to 25 years to life with a chance of parole for the brutal killing of Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz. They face up to life in prison without parole when they are sentenced on July 16. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Guzman-Feliz was mistakenly targeted as a . 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[19] His funeral, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in the Bronx, was attended by thousands. He tried to take refuge in a bodega near his home, jumping over the counter, but multiple gang members stormed into the deli, punching him and dragging him outside, where Guzman-Feliz was stabbed with knives and the machete. Seen in a white T-shirt and black baseball hat in the surveillance video, Alvarez was one of the men to follow Guzman-Feliz into the bodega. On Friday, five of the men seen on the video attacking the youth, Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, were sentenced to life in prison in a Bronx courtroom, after being convicted of murder.