Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella, one of the gang members convicted of the 2018 killing of 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, was found dead in a New York prison. Martinez-Estrella, 31, was being held at the Coxsackie Correctional Facility at the time of his death, with the cause of death not disclosed.
Guzman-Feliz's killing made national headlines as a case of mistaken identity. Martinez-Estrella was said to have landed the fatal blow when he stabbed the teen in the neck. The incident occurred on June 20, 2018, at a bodega in the Bronx, where Guzman-Feliz was mistaken for a rival gang member.
Martinez-Estrella was initially convicted of first-degree murder but had his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeals in May 2023. He was resentenced to 25 years to life in prison in May. Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said that Martinez-Estrella and 13 other individuals were convicted of Guzman-Feliz's killing, with authorities claiming the convicted men were members of the Trinitarios gang.
Guzman-Feliz's family has been deeply affected by his death. His sister, Genesis Collado-Feliz, described him as a good kid who loved playing video games. His mother, who delivered an impact statement, said that her son's killers took their own lives the moment they killed him, and she hopes that they will never be able to step out of a jail cell.
Comments
Post a Comment