Five defendants in the murder trial of Junior Guzman-Feliz have been found guilty. Each of the five defendants was found guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, second-degree conspiracy and second-degree gang assault. The five young men found guilty were Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, Jose Muniz, Manuel Rivera and Elvin Garcia. Each of the five young men face life in jail without parole. Meanwhile, eight other defendants await trial in the ongoing matter.
Junior Guzman-Feliz was murdered last summer outside of a bodega in the Bronx. A group of more than a dozen young men mistook the Bronx teenager for a member of a rival gang. The young men chased the teenager for a few blocks before they eventually caught up to him and stabbed him to death. Cameras outside of the bodega captured the tragic incident.
In the aftermath of the incident, Cardi B, Carmelo Anthony, C.C. Sabathia and many more paid their respects to the 15-year-old. Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said, “Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence.” Junior’s mother said, “I’m not going to have my son back, but those killers, those murderers, they’re not going to be outside killing another kid.”
The five defendants will await sentencing at a later date.
