A jury began deliberating Thursday on the five mens fates. Closing Aguments In 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz Murder Trial Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]. 'Junior' trial star witness Kevin Alvarez describes moment - PIX11 "Justice for Junior" has become a rallying cry. 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. The murder was just as horrific. The knife made it from the right side to the left, hit the muscle, hit the (jugular) vein, went behind the throat, hit the tissue on the back side of the mouth, Dr. Rodriguez said. Meanwhile a number of Bronx businesses are learning to be 'safe havens' for people in danger after a bodega owner was criticized for not doing enough 'Junior', who was killed outside his store. The cars then split up and appear to surround him. The men, traveling in four cars, spotted Lesandro, and one of them shouted a Trinitarios greeting at him: Sunset, Popo, then 1090, which was a password Los Sures used to identify Sunset members, Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes 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. He specializes, New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after. 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. 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. The jury, comprised of 11 women and one man, reached the verdict Friday after going into deliberations Thursday. We're about five years off of Best Buy having a 'Legal Troubleshooting' department, aren't we? Is that why Junior was targeted? Newly released videos show Junior's desperate final moments before being hacked to death PIX11 News 186K subscribers Subscribe Like Save 3.8M views 4 years ago Show more Show more Notice. How Junior was killed follows a pattern of attacks by Trinitarios, a Dominican gang that was born in New York prisons. Machete killing of Bronx teen in case of mistaken identity leads to He was depicted in murals and online with a halo and angel wings. Lets continue to examine why so many youths, particularly from inner cities, are attracted to the brutality of gangs. (Police were stationed in the street outside court, anticipating a riot should the verdict not have come back as guilty on all counts.). But the glee I saw in the eyes of spectators at the reading of straight convictions for Murder I was not founded. READ: #JusticeForJunior: A Group of Men Fatally Stabbed Bronx Teen With Machete. (Obtained by New York Daily News ). The five men who viciously slashed a New York teenager to death with . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. See our privacy policy. He only said that one word -- "water," she testified. Our investigation retraces his last steps and reveals how a recent wave of violence took his life just two blocks from home. Junior begins to run and the cars give chase. Mr. Alvarez testified that Lesandro was not in the photos. Ultimately, he was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. Its horrific, defense attorney Kyle Watters said of his client, Estrella. Friends and family told us that Junior wasnt in a gang and the police have no such indication, either. After Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Fernandez pulled the boy outside, the others attacked. 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. Nine others charged in the killing are awaiting trial. She said it cut the bone that protects the spinal cord and left an exit wound on the other side of his neck. However, all 12 alleged gang members were indicted on second degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Junior would go on to die outside of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. Of those 38, five were under the age of 10. And on the night before Juniors murder, he had witnessed another stabbing at Adams Place. Celebrities react to tragic murder of 15-year-old in the Bronx Mr. Alvarez testified for the prosecution in return for a lenient sentence. Meanwhile, the defense argued that testimony supports that the suspects didnt mean to kill Guzman-Feliz. The murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, drew outrage across New York City. No one, not prosecutors or police, wanted to admit, that Junior had gang connections. Todays verdict fortifies the Bronx communitys stand against violence.. Dixon's closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Feliz's neck which reportedly killed him. 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. Just two days before Junior was killed, a 14-year-old was seriously injured in this attack. He leaves and immediately three other men enter. All rights reserved, Long Island Driver Wanted for Running From Deadly 7-Car Pileup, Upper East Side Deli Killer Clad in Hazmat Suit Likely Serial Robber: Sources, never-before-seen footage of the savage machete attack, self-proclaimed gang member who testified against the other five alleged Trinitarios members, The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Flight Attendant Hit the Ceiling': 7 Hospitalized After Severe Turbulence Diverts Flight to Virginia, Fight for NY Casino License Heats Up as Developers Drop Coney Island Boardwalk First Look, Viral Kids' Star Ms. Rachel Is Taking a Break From Social Media After Backlash Over Co-Star Who Uses They/Them Pronouns, After a weeks-long emotional trial with chilling revelations and graphic photos, the jury reached a verdict in the 'Junior' Guzman trial, All five defendants were found guilty of murder in first and second degree, as well as conspiracy and gang assault charges, One of the defendants was heard saying 'Trinitarios 'till the day I die' as he left the courtroom following the guilty verdicts. Join Nancy Grace and a team of world-class experts for the online course Justice Nation: Crime Stops Here. The federal judiciary is getting more diverse. Its alleged that defendant Jonaiki Martinez Estrella plunged the knife into Juniors neck near the end of the 20-second attack. In opening statements, prosecutors described the teen's killing as a calculated and planned murder by the five suspects. Its Wednesday, June 20. His English was poor. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Nils Gerber and Stephen Ball, Stacks' attorneys, presented evidence and rested their case after about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Five gang members sentenced for killing a 15-year-old with a machete - CNN But at the end, it has a happy ending," said Manny Ortiz. At least 10 people had been injured in June in a series of street battles. The trial, now in its fourth week, has been checkered with drama, with Juniors mom at one point screaming and sobbing in court in response to grisly CCTV footage shown of her sons murder. 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. Members of the Bronx sets also wanted revenge because a Sunset member had shot one of the Bad Boys in the face, Mr. Alvarez said. 2023 Breaking Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Guzman-Feliz's mother, Leandra Feliz, wept and screamed at times during the emotional trial.. Nine other suspects are expected to stand trial on lesser charges in connection to the boys death later his year. They said their subsets, called Los Sures and Bad Boys, abided by a strict code of conduct. Toni Messina has tried over 100 cases and has been practicing criminal law and immigration since 1990. Junior suffered multiple wounds to his face, back, chest, legs and hands. 270p. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. The footage went viral and with it, rumor and speculation about why the 15-year-old boy known as Junior was singled out. GRAPHIC: CCTV and bystanders filming with their phones captured the gruesome Bronx bodega machete stabbing murder of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman by Trinitarios gang members. Sofia Henry also testified Thursday, telling jurors about photos she took on the night of the incident. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. I didnt see the person who had just finished getting stabbed there, Mr. Alvarez said, choking back tears. On the night of Juniors murder, Trinitarios were driving around looking for Sunset members when they spotted the 15-year-old walking. Surveillance footage from June shows a street chase by suspected members of the Trinitarios gang, as they hunted down 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. She used her summation to show the jury the boys final moments repeatedly, slowing it down to show each defendants actions. Gang ordered 'damage' before 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz death - New York Post . Members of the Police Departments Law Enforcement Explorers program attending a memorial for Lesandro last year. What is the derivation of this distorted quest for manhood and meaning? Hes making more money from Hogwarts: Legacy than her anyway. Erica Byfield reports. Recommended Stories Deadline. 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. He was walking toward Adams Place, a small street about five minutes away thats known for gang activity. 'Borderline gruesome' autopsy photos among the last pieces of evidence Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon One man, identified by prosecutors as Jose Tavarez, enters the bodega and spots Junior. Theyre believed to have targeted Guzman-Feliz because they believed he was affiliated with a rival gang responsible for shooting one of their members two days earlier. Then hes dragged from the bodega and brutally stabbed by a swarm of attackers. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was murdered outside of a Bronx deli in 2019. But these verdicts will send a messageto those who would commitacts of senseless violenc, and help us move forward and bring closure to this awful chapter in our borough's history.". A warning: These next scenes are hard to watch, and weve obscured some graphic parts. In the beginning of the video, the teen is seen trying to hide behind the counter. In recent months, turf wars have spiked among rival Trinitario factions. Prosecution rests in Junior case after showing graphic autopsy photo 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. Junior was spotted walking late at night in the Bronx neighborhood frequented by the Sunsets. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. (Jefferson Siegel/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS). Manuel Rivera came from the Dominican Republic (legally) at age 15 with his dad and two sisters. 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. On his way there, Junior was in touch with this friend, who lives on Adams Place and who, according to our reporting, is not in a gang, either. 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. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Criminal defense attorney Chris Carrion has been observing the trial from the start. Two gang leaders convicted for 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz murder Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz case: Five guilty of murder in mistaken If convicted, they face life in prison. The friend says they felt things were getting dicey and went inside. "I saw a smile on my mothers face really, really excited.". Although this position was strenuously argued by defense counsel, the jury ignored it. At about 10:30 p.m., the second-in-command of Los Sures, Frederick Then, 20, also known as Colita, told the men they were headed to the Little Italy section of the Bronx to search for their rivals. But the owner appears to direct him away. Newly released videos show Junior's desperate final moments before The father of Junior Guzman-Felizthe 15-year-old New York boy whose mistaken-identity murder was caught on tapereportedly screamed and cursed at one of his son's accused killers during a Thursday court hearing which included testimony of what transpired after the teen's stabbing death. All Five Defendants Found Guilty of Murder in Brutal 'Junior' Guzman 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. The vicious murder in June of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz just blocks from his Bronx home drew outrage from across the city and beyond. Only someone in the gang would know the response. At around 11:30, Junior leaves, and two minutes later security cameras catch him on this corner passing near his home. Witnesses say these two police officers stood by watching the scene. Mr. Sueros trial is expected to start soon. Anyone can read what you share. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. Dixons closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Felizs neck which reportedly killed him. New Yorkers flooded investigators with tips. 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. But I understand why the People adopted the Junior-as-saint story. Our investigation retraces Juniors last steps and uncovers new details that may answer why he was targeted. Both times the worker refuses to help the young teen. 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. News and analysis from this company could be a game-changer for legal professionals working globally. It made the tragedy of his killing that much worse and convictions that much more guaranteed. Reyes fled to the Dominican Republic on June 21 to see his mother after learning he was present in a murder but returned the following day and handed himself in to police before entering a plea deal in August. Guzman-Feliz's death sparked outrage in the Bronx and beyond and spurred the allocation of $18 million toward gang prevention in the borough. Closing arguments proved to be just as emotional, as some jury members shed tears. 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. Warning Graphic Video Below. 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It was a lawyers argument (as the judges law clerk put it) intellectual, nitpicky not visceral. I Represented A Monster -- Except He Really Wasn't - Above the Law What Better Place To Network Than The Facebook Friends List? Last week, court officers had to restrain and remove a screaming Leandra Feliz as Judge Robert Neary blasted her as hysterical.. Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, who went by the nickname Junior, was a member of the Police Departments Law Enforcement Explorers program before he was killed last year. Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? #justiceforjunior #ripjunior ALL THAT MUST STOP . Understanding Big Law: A Must-Read Guide To One Of The Most Challenging Workplaces In The World Is Now Available. Junior's mother said that Friday's verdict will sends a message to all those who would do something similar to what happened to her son. The convicted killers will be sentenced Tuesday, July 16. Lesandro, who had hidden behind the counter, pleaded with the men, saying he was not the person they were looking for. He believed hed found a place to belong. A post shared by Robert Williams (@areumdawo_saja) on Jun 25, 2018 at 11:00pm PDT. Blood was splattered on the floor and counter of Cruz & Chiki Deli on Bathgate Ave and 183rd St., the store Junior was dragged from as he desperately sought refuge from his attackers, the detective said. They attempted to cast blame on Mr. Martinez Estrella for Lesandros death.