Thursday could be the one-year anniversary of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz’s death.

The gang-related killing of 15-year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz a year ago delivered shock waves through his Bronx community, as family and friends mourned the increased loss of a kid” that is“sweet had imagined to become a police detective.

The NYPD arrested 14 suspects, living as much as its promise of leaving “no stone that are unturned the research in to the slaying of Guzman-Feliz, who was simply affectionately called “Junior.”

On June 14, the five males accused of fatally stabbing the teenager had been discovered bad of very very first- and murder that is second-degree conspiracy and gang attack. Eight other suspects, that are accused of involved in the attack but didn’t stab Guzman-Feliz, are increasingly being tried individually. One suspect pleaded accountable when you look at the full situation and it is cooperating aided by 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 Street that is 184th and Avenue within the Bronx on July 3, 2018. Picture Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon

Continue reading to find out more about Guzman-Feliz and also the aftermath of his death.

The assault on Guzman-Feliz ended up being evidently situation of mistaken identification

On June 20, 2018, surveillance movie captured a few guys dragging Guzman-Feliz out of a bodega on East 183rd Street into the Belmont element of the Bronx and over and over over repeatedly stabbing him within the throat and human anatomy with knives and a machete.

Following the suspects fled, Guzman-Feliz was able to run to St that is nearby Hospital, where he collapsed during the entry and passed away. The town examiner’s that is medical stated he passed away of the stab injury to your throat and ruled their death a homicide.

Police think the killing ended up being pertaining to intra-gang violence and that Guzman-Feliz had been erroneously targeted. The teenager had kept their home to offer somebody $5 and encountered the suspects on his long ago house, NYPD officials stated.

The suspects, thinking the teenager was a part of the competing faction of the gang, chased Guzman-Feliz in to the bodega after which dragged him out onto the sidewalk before stabbing and slashing him, based on authorities.

Guzman-Feliz’s death quickly caught the eye of high-ranking NYPD officials, including Chief of Department Terence Monahan, whom called it “among many brutal crimes he’d that is seen. Detectives vowed to root every person out included and hold them accountable.

3 days following the slaying, the suspects that are first arrested. Associated with 14 guys who will be charged, five have now been convicted of fatally stabbing Guzman-Feliz. One other nine suspects are accused to be mixed up in crime that is deadly.

Here you will find the 14 suspects additionally the fees against them:

• Manuel Rivera, of this Bronx: Guilty of very very very first- and murder that is second-degree conspiracy and gang attack.
• Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, regarding the Bronx: Guilty of first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang attack.
• Elvin Garcia, of Manhattan: Guilty of very first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang attack.
• Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, of Freeport: Guilty of very first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang assault.
• Jose Muniz, associated with the Bronx: Guilty of very very first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang attack.
• Diego Suero, regarding 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 possession of the tool.
• Ronald Urena, of this Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang attack, conspiracy and possession that is criminal of tool.
• Luis A. Cabrera Santos, associated with the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and possession that is criminal of gun.
• Danilo Payamps Pacheco, associated with the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and possession that is criminal of gun.
• Gabriel Ramirez Concepcion, for the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and unlawful control of the tool.
• Jose Taverez, associated with Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and unlawful control of the gun.
• Danel Fernandez, regarding the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and possession that is criminal of gun.
• Kevin Alvarez, regarding the Bronx: faced with second-degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang attack and possession that is criminal of tool. He pleaded responsible and testified against five associated with the defendants that are main of fatally stabbing Guzman-Feliz.

The murder trial

Guilty – that has been the jury’s verdict contrary to the five guys who delivered the deadly blows to Guzman-Feliz.

The test, which began may 6, found an in depth on June 14 after lower than two times of jury deliberations. Jose Muniz, Elvin Garcia, Manuel Rivera, Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago and Jonaiki Martinez Estrella had been found bad of very first- and second-degree murder, conspiracy and gang attack.

The victim’s mother, Leandra Feliz, thanked God for the accountable verdicts. “My son ended up being a kid that is good. He had been just 15 years old. He had been doing the most effective when you look at the educational school,” she said at a news seminar outside the Bronx Supreme Court building.

Through the very very first complete time associated with test, Tamika Jones, 21, testified that she witnessed the assault from her apartment screen and shouted for Guzman-Feliz to perform to your hospital that is nearby.

“By the full time we got downstairs, he was currently as you’re watching medical center, collapsed,” Jones said. “He had bloodstream all over their human body. He had been wanting to remain alive, keeping their injury himself. His words that are last water — he asked for water.”

Throughout the second week of testimony, Feliz started“no that is screaming no, no” and crying hysterically until she ended up being escorted through the courtroom, relating to published reports.

The event apparently took place while Alvarez had been cross-examined by way of a defense 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 after a counter was opened by a bodega worker home near where he had been hiding.

An ambulance had been called towards the courthouse but she had not been taken fully to a medical center, relating to published reports. She had been apparently expected to go out of the courtroom on another event for talking away during test testimony.

Guzman-Feliz’s daddy additionally apparently had to keep the courtroom during a separate event, after their son’s blood-soaked clothes ended up being presented as evidence.

“I saw my son’s bloody T-shirt and we never wish to view it once more,” Lisandro Guzman told reporters outside of the courthouse.

Suspected users of the Trinitarios gang

The suspects are purported users of the Los Sures group of the Trinitarios road gang, based on the NYPD.

In the nights Guzman-Feliz’s death, the team collected at Suero’s Boston path home and planned to strike another group of Trinitarios, called Sunset, authorities said. Suero may be the leader asian brides that is suspected of Sures, relating to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark.

The suspects piled into four automobiles and drove to your territory associated with the gang that is rival come upon Guzman-Feliz and chased him in to the bodega, Clark stated.

The suspects went back to Suero’s home to hide their weapons and help Garcia, whose hand was cut during the attack, according to Clark after the stabbing.

The region lawyer also dispelled past posted reports that stated Guzman-Feliz was erroneously targeted as a result of a sex tape with a woman associated with one of many suspects.

“As far even as we understand, at the moment, there is no reference to any intercourse tape for this specific instance,” Clark said. “That had been stated on social media but that includes perhaps maybe perhaps not been the information and knowledge that people have actually inside our situation.”

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 throughout the town, mostly on felony costs, relating to Shea.

“This ended up being one significant case involving Trinitarios, but we’re planning to continue steadily to target perhaps perhaps perhaps not just the Trinitarios but any road gang this is certainly tangled up in physical physical violence in new york,” Shea added.

The NYPD connection

Before their death, Guzman-Feliz had aspired to be a authorities detective and had been an associate of this NYPD’s Explorers system, a business that is designed to show teenagers and teenagers the significance of respect, self-discipline and furthering their training through training and community solution tasks.

The NYPD in addition to Police Foundation have actually create 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.