Mother’s Fight for Justice:
Life after Junior’s murder
A painting of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz who was stabbed to death by members of the Trinitarios gang in 2018. -Photo by David Greene
By David Greene
Bronx Voice
February 24, 2023
BRONX - From almost the moment her son Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was brutally murdered on the evening of June 20, 2018, Leandrao Feliz was unexpectedly catapulted into the media spotlight, not because she wanted to, but because it was what she believed she needed to do to bring attention to the case and justice to members of the feared Trinitarios gang.
Feliz stood outside the Bronx District Attorney's office along East 161 Street on October 28, after learning that a plea deal to the charge of manslaughter had been reached with the remaining defendants: Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, Elvin Garcia, Jose Muniz, Manuel Rivera, Antonio Rodriguez and Hernandez Santiago. The remaining gang members were each given sentences of 12 - 15 years, including time served.
Moments before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio handed down the sentences on January 13, Feliz read her victim's impact statement, in which she told the judge, "That night there were two deaths, Junior and me." She continued, "This group of evil criminals used their gang related activities and decided to go out and kill.”
Feliz, who attended nearly all of the court proceedings, continued, "My son will never come back from the grave, these killers should never be able to step out of their jail cells." Feliz concluded, "If I had the power to sentence these murders, I would sentence them to 300 years in prison, to make an example worldwide.”
A collage of family photos celebrating the life of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz created by his mother Leandra Feliz.
Moments after the sentencing, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark stood with Feliz, and recalled the graphic and shocking killing caught on video surveillance, telling reporters, "The shocking viral video of the attack left the Bronx Community--and the world-- horrified at such a complete disregard for human life.”
On January 16, the Bronx Voice was invited to Feliz' Bronx home, no longer in the Belmont section where she raised Junior and where he was murdered. The home looks more like a shrine or living memorial to her beloved son- where photos of the young man, as well as awards he received from school and as a member of the NYPD's Explorers Program, hang on walls throughout the home.
Feliz was asked if any of the defendants or their family members ever apologized or showed remorse for what happened to Junior, when she recalled how one defendant began to apologize during sentencing, Feliz recalled, "The mother was arguing with the police and then she said, she yelled to him, "Do not apologize!" Feliz quipped, "Hmmm take your fifteen.”
Disappointed that the final round of gang members did not get the 25-to-life sentences handed down after earlier trials, Feliz said, "I thought that they would get the same sentences of 25-to-life, because they were all aware of what they were doing.”
Feliz continues to hold down a full-time job as a housekeeper at a local hospital and care for her remaining children and elderly mother.
Feliz recently offered to assist the mother of a murder victim in helping her find video of that killing and has expressed interest in helping Bronx teenagers in some way in the future.
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