Martinez-Estrella, from Freeport, NY, was 24 at the time of his arrest for Lesandro’s murder. Along with five others, he was arrested on June 27, 2018 and charged with murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, manslaughter, gang assault in the first degree and assault with intent to cause serious injury with a weapon. Others were also arrested and charged on different dates.

 

Lesandro’s killing was, according to prosecutors, a case of mistaken identity where members of the Los Sures subset of the Trinitarios gang believed they were killing a member of a rival subset. His death was tragically captured on surveillance footage and caused outrage in the Bronx community.

 

Residents were shocked to discover that although the young teen attempted to save himself from the gang, who were reportedly armed with knives and machetes, by running inside a bodega, the group dragged him outside and stabbed him to death. “Junior’s Law” was later introduced in efforts to order bodega owners to keep minors safe.

Many were also angry that although some local residents reportedly heard Lesandro’s cries, they reportedly did not immediately call 911. Hundreds attended Junior’s funeral and first anniversary vigil. Some of his friends spoke to Norwood News about his legacy at the vigil. The street where Lesandro died was subsequently co-named in his honor and an annual summer camp for youths has also been established in his memory.

 

Following his death, a con man called R.A. Gregg later allegedly exploited the generosity of people who made donations in his memory and according to then-Councilman and now Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), the same man continued his ploy, allegedly swindling Larry Winawer out of $5,000 over the purchase of a 1976 Cadillac Deville.

 

Recently, Leandra Feliz, Junior’s mom, was seen attending a rally in the South Bronx for Democratic mayoral candidate and former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who she endorsed in the race and which Cuomo ultimately lost to Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (A.D. 36). Though he conceded the primary, Cuomo reportedly has not ruled out running in the general election under another ticket.

“I am humbled to be endorsed by Leandra Feliz and memorialize her 15-year-old son, Junior, who was killed by brutal gang violence in the Belmont neighborhood in the Bronx,’ said Cuomo on June 21, a few days before Primary Day on June 24. “Public safety is the first priority of government. As mayor, I will work every day to keep our streets safe. No parent should ever have to bear the pain of losing a child.”

Cuomo had announced an $18.4 million investment in youth-based programs in The Bronx inside the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in Belmont in the weeks after Lesandro’s death, with the then-governor describing the initiative as “unprecedented” and revealing a multi-faceted approach to support activities for Bronx kids.

 

At the time, Torres also announced a $1 million funding allocation from the city council in the aftermath of Junior’s death to prevent further gang violence through a “cure violence” initiative, similar to the work carried out by Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.). “The value of Cure Violence lies in recognizing that gang violence is not only a problem that falls in the domain of criminal justice,” said Torres at the time. “It’s also a problem that falls in the domain of public health. Gang violence is a public health epidemic, and we must do more to cure it.”

 

According to those involved, through the cure violence initiative, former gang members would speak to local youth about the dangers and consequences of gang life, in efforts to deter them from joining gangs. Yeshiva University, which has locations in The Bronx and Manhattan, also established a satellite clinic at Mt. Carmel Church close to where Junior died in Belmont, where mental health experts aimed to help the community cope with his death.

As reported, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, that six members of the “Los Sures” set of the Trinitarios gang had been sentenced to prison for their roles in the 2018 fatal stabbing of Lesandro, bringing an end to the legal case.

 

In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “These six defendants, members of the Los Sures Trinitarios set, chased Lesandro ‘Junior’ Guzman–Feliz and dragged him out of [a] Belmont bodega where he was stabbed by five other defendants.” She added, “Their unconscionable actions led to the death of the 15-year-old boy. The shocking viral video of the attack left the Bronx community, and the world, horrified at such complete disregard for human life.”

 

Clark added, “It brings closure in the criminal justice aspect but does not bring an end to the pain Junior’s family and friends still suffer,” the district attorney said. “They will never recover from their immense loss, but we hope it brings some peace to the community in knowing that these defendants will be in prison for years.”

 

As previously reported, and according to trial testimony, on the night of June 20, 2018, Diego Suero, the leader of the “Los Sures” set of the Trinitarios gang, and Frederic Then, second-in-command, summoned members to Suero’s home and ordered them to commit violence against another set of the Trinitarios called “Sunset.”

The members were in two vehicles when they came upon Junior and chased him to a bodega where he tried to hide. The teen was punched and dragged out of the store by the six defendants and hacked with knives and a machete by Martinez-Estrella, Jose Muniz, Elvin Garcia, Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago and Manuel Rivera.

 

The last gang member pleaded guilty to the stabbing in December 2023, as reported. Thirteen people were convicted in total for the killing.

 

Police released a separate video in 2018 of another Norwood stabbing of a then-14-year-old unnamed youth to help identify those involved who were also suspected to have been involved in Junior’s killing. In yet another incident, police later said two men linked to the Trinitarios gang were charged in the death of another 17-year-old in Bedford Park in December 2018. We are following up on the status of these two cases and will share further details shortly.

 

News 12’s story can be watched / read here.