Solved case · 2018
Also known as Lesandro Guzman-Feliz's death · Lesandro Guzman-Feliz death
The short answer
On June 20, 2018, 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was chased and killed by members of the Trinitarios gang outside a Bronx bodega after being mistaken for a rival gang member. The attack was captured on video and sparked widespread public outrage; five men were later convicted of his murder.
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Suggest coverage for Murder of Lesandro Guzman-FelizOn the night of June 20, 2018, at approximately 11:30 p.m., 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz left his Bronx apartment to meet a friend. Noticing four vehicles that alarmed him, he fled and was chased for several blocks by members of the Trinitarios gang. He sought refuge in a bodega at Bathgate Avenue and East 183rd Street in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx. The store owner initially prevented him from hiding behind the counter, uncertain of what was happening, but relented after recognizing Guzman-Feliz's fear. He was nonetheless spotted by a gang member, who dragged him back outside, where several others were waiting.
The attack was captured on bodega CCTV footage and on cell phone video recorded from an overhead angle by a nearby resident. The footage shows multiple men stabbing Guzman-Feliz with knives and machetes. He briefly re-entered the store before being sent back outside, then stumbled toward St. Barnabas Hospital, a block away, collapsing near a security booth close to the hospital entrance. Witnesses who knew him attempted to help, but he died within minutes of the attack.
According to the boyfriend of Guzman-Feliz's sister, a Trinitarios leader stated on Snapchat that the killing resulted from mistaken identity. Police said the attackers, members of a Trinitarios subset known as "Los Sures," believed Guzman-Feliz was a member of a rival gang called "Sunset." Bronx County District Attorney Darcel Clark stated that Guzman-Feliz had no gang ties.
The graphic video's circulation online, accompanied by the hashtag #JusticeForJunior, generated significant public outrage and led to a surge of tips to police. Fourteen suspects, all Trinitarios members aged 18 to 29, were ultimately arrested in connection with the killing.
Guzman-Feliz was a sophomore at the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School and a member of the NYPD Explorers program, aspiring to become a detective. Thousands attended his funeral at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in the Bronx; he was buried at Saint Raymond's Cemetery. The NYPD later established a scholarship in his name, and the intersection where he was killed was ceremonially renamed "Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz Way" in February 2019.
On June 14, 2019, a Bronx jury convicted five defendants — Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella, Manuel Rivera, Elvin Garcia, Jose Muniz, and Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez — of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, gang assault, and conspiracy. The first-degree murder conviction against Martinez-Estrella, who police said delivered the fatal blow, was later vacated for lack of evidence. Sentences ranged up to life in prison. In June 2025, Martinez-Estrella was found dead in his cell at Coxsackie Correctional Facility; the cause of death has not been determined.
Lesandro Guzman-Feliz is born.
Guzman-Feliz is chased by Trinitarios gang members and fatally attacked outside a bodega in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx.
Suspect Manuel Rivera is slashed in the face by a fellow inmate while detained at Rikers Island awaiting trial.
The intersection of Bathgate Avenue and East 183rd Street is ceremonially renamed "Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz Way."
A Bronx jury convicts Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella, Manuel Rivera, Elvin Garcia, Jose Muniz, and Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez of murder, gang assault, and conspiracy.
Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella is found dead in his cell at Coxsackie Correctional Facility; cause of death undetermined.
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
15-year-old victim, fatally stabbed outside a Bronx bodega on June 20, 2018[3]
Convicted June 14, 2019 of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, gang assault, and conspiracy; sentenced to 25 years to life[3]
Convicted June 14, 2019 of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, gang assault, and conspiracy; sentenced to 25 years to life[3]
Convicted June 14, 2019 of second-degree murder, gang assault, and conspiracy (first-degree murder conviction later vacated); police alleged he delivered the fatal blow; found dead in his cell in June 2025[3]
Convicted June 14, 2019 of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, gang assault, and conspiracy; sentenced to 25 years to life[3]
Convicted June 14, 2019 of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, gang assault, and conspiracy; sentenced to 23 years to life[3]
Bronx County District Attorney who stated Guzman-Feliz had no ties to gang activity[3]
From the record
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