Five people have been arrested following the murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, according to the New York City Police Department.
Guzman-Feliz, 15, was allegedly dragged from a store and attacked with a machete and knives outside a Bronx deli on Wednesday night (June 20), before being left to die on the pavement.
It’s believed to have been a case of mistaken identity, with the Chief of the NYPD describing the murder as being ‘among the most brutal crimes’ he’d seen in his 36 year career.
Guzman-Feliz, who was enrolled in the NYPD Explorers program for youths, had ‘dreamed of being a detective’, according to New York Post.
Chief Terence Monahan has now revealed there’ve been arrests in the case.
He wrote on Twitter:
There’ve been arrests in the murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz. This has been a team effort between dedicated @NYPDDetectives, our law enforcement partners & you, the public we serve.
This is still an active investigation. Call #800577TIPS with info. We will have #JUSTICEFORJUNIOR. [sic].
Kevin J. Alvarez, 19, was named as one of the alleged killers, according to reports.
Alvarez, of the Bronx, has been charged with ‘second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and assault’, according to police.
A video was released over the weekend by the NYPD in an attempt to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Guzman-Feliz, who was known as Junior, had dreams of joining the police force and his mother paid tribute to her ‘sweet’ son.
Leandra Feliz, 48, told the New York Post:
He was my angel. He was a sweet child. But they killed my son like he was junk.
Since he was five-years-old, he told me, ‘Mommy, I want to be a police
He loved the police car [He said], ‘I wanna drive the police car’.
She continued:
They stabbed my son in the neck, in the main artery going to the heart. They opened a hole in his neck with a machete.
That’s why my son die. I hugged and kissed my son. I said, ‘Oh my God! Who am I going to wake up to go to school?
Tell me, what bad thing that a kid like that do? Five men with machetes? A kid with no weapon. Alone. Why kill him like that?
He was just waiting to graduate and study criminal justice. And be a police.
I have no reason to live my life. They kill him. They kill me, too. I’m ready to die. You can put me with my son.
According to reports, Guzman-Feliz’s brother, 19-year-old Derek Grullon, received messages on Facebook from men claiming to be part of the Trinitarios – a notoriously violent Dominican gang.
Grullon said:
They said, ‘We had the wrong person’. She got a two-minute video via Snapchat in which the gang leader said they kicked all of them out of the gang.
We cried. He was innocent.
A member of Guzman-Feliz’s family set up a GoFundMe page, saying:
I opened up a GoFundMe account for my brother in law and he’s family due to financial difficulties at this moment since he’s death was so sudden and tragic. [sic]
He was 15 yrs old and was stabbed to death by a group of multiple men. Anything donated will be greatly appreciated. We appreciate your help and your prayers thank you very much. [sic]
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Lesandro.
If you’ve experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
