In recent months, turf wars have spiked among rival Trinitario factions. Content should be organized in different stages, from when potential clients search for initial information to eventually contacting your law firm. He gave a coded gang response when asked a question by a Trinitarios gang member driving by. 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. Its Wednesday, June 20. Yes, he put the knife through his neck. It brought cries for vengeance couched in the Justice for Junior slogan. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Junior was spotted walking late at night in the Bronx neighborhood frequented by the Sunsets. Heres a list of where to volunteer in NYC: Lex Lumpkin talks about new show The Watchful Eye, Debunking food safety myths with a chefs help, Fun, easy Holi-inspired crafts to try with kids, Spot warning signs of teens declining mental health, Simple spring break cocktails to make at home, Patrick Kane to make Rangers debut against Senators, Rangers KAndre Miller suspended 3 games for spitting, Kane incoming? According to . : Reach out just to catch up. There were gasps from the courtroom as Assistant District Attorney Morgan Dolan presented the graphic photos of Juniors wounds during the testimony of the prosecutions final witness. He did not act with the intent to kill.. Prosecutors showed jurors an autopsy photo showing the lethal wound to the neck of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. Registration or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Prosecutors rested their case today in the Junior murder trial, but not without a graphic and powerful finish. How do you protect your children from predators? Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was murdered outside of a Bronx deli in 2019. Sabathia. Hes at home with his mother. Junior would go on to die outside of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]. Crime, Criminal Defense Attorneys, Gangs, Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz, Manuel Rivera, Murder, Toni Messina. After the verdict, Mr. Muniz showed no remorse and shouted, Popote, hasta la muerte! slang for Trinitarios until death.. 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. "This 15-year-old boy, moments before death, fought like . Closing arguments continue in the murder trial of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. Mr. Alvarez testified for the prosecution in return for a lenient sentence. The murder of 15-year-old Guzman-Feliz, who was known as Junior, has captivated the community and public interest, partly because the brutal June 20 attack was caught on surveillance video. dragged him from the store and stabbed him to death. The jury, comprised of 11 women and one man, reached the verdict Friday after going into deliberations Thursday. ", Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence, said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. 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.. Members of Los Sures took orders from a leader named Diego Suero, whom they called Santa Claus.. ", If you have a gun, you shoot, he testified. Its like my son was right here with me., (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. 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. However, four defense attorneys contested this notion, describing during opening statements that most of Guzman-Feliz's wounds as superficial and said it was the one cut to the throat that killed him. 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. Todays verdict fortifies the Bronx communitys stand against violence.. The second day of trial in the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was emotional and filled with graphic video and photos. Fellow defendant Jose Muniz was heard saying "Trinitarios to the day I die" as he left the courtroom following the guilty verdicts. They're not gonna forget it. They pursued him in cars, mistaking the aspiring NYPD detective for a gangbanger because he supposedly resembled a known one. Add AI Research And Catching Up With Your Law School Buds To The Career Growth List -- See Also, Reach out just to catch up. If you have a knife, you stab. Junior's parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz alleging he was in a gang photo a notion a detective who took the stand denied. Junior gestures for someone to call 911. The convicted killers will be sentenced Tuesday, July 16. The defense team asked Dr. Rodriguez if any of these additional wounds contributed to the teens death. If they did not participate, the lawyers said, they would have been disciplined. Both times the worker refuses to help the young teen. They hang out on a stoop close by, chatting and listening to hip-hop, according to Jason. 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. According to police, the drivers spot Junior and taunt him. As opposed to Trump, who says presidents are free to incite at will. However, police have said the teens murder was a case of mistaken identity. (No one claims responsibility.) What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? It was very painful, Guzman told reporters in Spanish. LexisNexis Brief Analysis produces powerful, near-instant legal argumentation insights using the power of AI. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Mr. Alvarez said he and other gang members tried to block Lesandro with their cars, but the teenager fled into the Cruz and Chiky Grocery, a bodega at East 183rd Street and Bathgate Avenue. All 14 suspects are reportedly members of the Sures set of the Trinitarios gang. He was walking toward Adams Place, a small street about five minutes away thats known for gang activity. AP Bronx gangbangers were given the order to inflict "any kind of damage". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. New Yorkers flooded investigators with tips. Manuel enjoyed the Trinitarios parties, the hookah, the beads, the hand signs, the comradery, and fact that they had his back. 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. Knitting, perhaps, Some things we just dont share with the class, Kamala Harris Has Been Busy Breaking Judiciary Ties, DOJ Makes Radical Argument That Inciting Violence Is *Not* Within The Scope Of The President's Job, Working To Incorporate Legal Technology Into Your Practice Isn't Just A Great Business Move -- It's Required, Add Ai Research And Catching Up With Your Law School Buds To The Career Growth List See Also, Thomson Reuters Practical Law The Journal: Transactions & Business, The State Of Todays Corporate Law Departments, MyCase Continues To Simplify Law Firm Accounting, Right Where You Manage Your Practice, Meet LINK: The Easy Way To Handle All Your Document Workflows On Your Mobile Device In A Single App, Four Tips For Solo Attorneys To Build Their Marketing And Media Relations Skills, First Impressions Are Worth Millions For Summers. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. They carried weapons for two reasons for their own protection and to use them to hurt (not kill) a Sunset. 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. All five defendants Antonio Santigo, Elvin Garcia, Manuel Rivera, Estrella and Muniz were members of the Trinitarios gang. At least 10 people had been injured in June in a series of street battles. Since the violent attack, the communitys outpouring of love and support has been seen in a mural. He was a skinny kid, just 120 pounds, 56 inches tall. The defense attorney for the man who allegedly dealt that throat cut took offense at that. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. After the attack, the gang returned to Mr. Sueros home on Boston Road, Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes said. 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. The indicted are due back in court Oct. 25. 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. Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder, Defense hammers key witness on role in 'Junior' death. Only someone in the gang would know the response. The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. 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. Our investigation retraces Juniors last steps and uncovers new details that may answer why he was targeted. Junior then comes back to the store bloodied. How Junior was killed follows a pattern of attacks by Trinitarios, a Dominican gang that was born in New York prisons. They probablywon't forget itfor the rest of their lives.. The attention this case brings to the heinous nature of gangs is important. Members of the Trinitarios gang were hunting for enemies in the Bronx last summer when they found a 15-year-old boy on his phone and walking alone. Lesandro had bruising, scratches and small puncture wounds on his body, according to autopsy photos. An 13th suspect has been confirmed arrested in Junior . MORE: Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder