The Tragedy of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz: A Bronx Community’s Fight for Justice

June 20, 2018

On a summer night in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx, 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz left his apartment to meet a friend. Minutes later, he was brutally killed in a case of mistaken identity by members of the Dominican-American gang Trinitarios. His death ignited global outrage and a viral movement for justice.

A Night of Unthinkable Violence

At approximately 11:30 p.m., Junior noticed four suspicious vehicles near Bathgate Avenue and East 183rd Street. Fearing danger, he ran toward a local bodega for refuge. Surveillance footage showed the store owner initially hesitant to let him behind the counter—but upon recognizing Junior’s terror, relented. Moments later, Trinitarios gang members dragged him outside.

Graphic CCTV and cell phone videos captured the attack: multiple assailants stabbing Junior with machetes and knives. Bleeding heavily, he stumbled to St. Barnabas Hospital, just one block away, but collapsed near its entrance. Bystanders frantically tried to save him, but he succumbed to his wounds within minutes.

Motive: A Devastating Error

Authorities confirmed Junior had no gang ties. The Trinitarios subset “Los Sures” mistakenly identified him as a rival “Sunset” gang member. A gang leader later apologized on Snapchat, citing the error. Initial speculation about a sex video shared on Facebook involving a lookalike was never substantiated.

Who Was Junior?

• Age: 15 (born November 11, 2002)

• Family: Survived by parents Lisandro Guzman and Leandra Feliz, siblings Genesis Collado-Feliz and Manuel Ortiz.

• Dreams: An aspiring NYPD detective, he was a member of the NYPD Explorers program.

• Legacy: Thousands attended his funeral at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church; pallbearers wore New York Yankees jerseys in his honor. He was buried at Saint Raymond’s Cemetery.

Justice for Junior

Public fury erupted when the attack video spread online. The hashtag #JusticeForJunior went viral, flooding police tip lines with leads. Fourteen Trinitarios members (aged 18–29) were arrested:

• Diego Suero (29): Alleged ringleader.

• Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella (24): Delivered the fatal blow.

• Others: Kevin Alvarez, Luis Cabrera-Santos, Danel Fernandez, Elvin Garcia, Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez, Jose Muniz, Danilo Payamps-Pacheco, Gabriel Ramirez-Concepcion, Manuel Rivera, Jose Taverez, Fredrick Then, Ronald Ureña.

Legal Outcomes

In a landmark June 14, 2019 verdict, five were convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, gang assault, and conspiracy:

• Martinez-Estrella: Life in prison (first-degree murder later vacated).

• Rivera: 23 years to life.

• Garcia, Muniz, Hernandez: 25 years to life.

Update (2025): Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella died in his cell at Coxsackie Correctional Facility; cause remains unknown.

A Community Transformed

Junior’s legacy endures:

• The NYPD established a scholarship in his name.

• The corner of Bathgate and 183rd Street was renamed “Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz Way” (February 2019).

• The bodega owner, traumatized by the attack, sought therapy after his mother died from shock upon viewing the footage.

Junior’s story remains a searing reminder of gang violence’s collateral damage—and a community’s unwavering demand for justice.

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#RestInPowerJunior

 

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