Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz Video and Gang Member

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A notorious gang member convicted for his role in the brutal slaying of 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz in 2018 was found dead in a New York prison cell on Friday, June 27, 2025. Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella, 31, who was serving a sentence for second-degree murder, was discovered unresponsive at the Coxsackie Correctional Facility, located in upstate New York.

The shocking development has revived public interest in one of the most gruesome gang-related murders in recent memory an incident that galvanized public outrage and brought national attention to the dangers of gang violence in New York City.

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A Grim Discovery Behind Bars and Video

According to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), prison staff found Martinez-Estrella unresponsive in his cell on Friday afternoon. Immediate life-saving efforts were undertaken, including CPR, administration of Narcan (commonly used in cases of drug overdose), and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Shocking video of the Junior Guzman-Feliz incident


Full video of Junior Guzman-Feliz with cries for help

lesandro-junior-guzman-feliz-video.mp4

Despite these urgent measures, staff were unable to revive him. Martinez-Estrella was pronounced dead shortly after being found. The Greene County medical examiner has taken custody of the body and is conducting an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. As of now, authorities have not publicly disclosed whether foul play is suspected or if suicide or overdose is being considered.

The Case That Shocked the Nation

The story of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz’s death is both tragic and unforgettable. On the night of June 20, 2018, the teenage boy an aspiring police officer and member of the NYPD Explorers program was attacked by members of the Dominican-American Trinitarios gang in the Bronx. The gang had mistaken Junior for a rival gang member.

Guzman-Feliz was chased by multiple vehicles filled with gang members through the streets of the Bronx. In a desperate attempt to escape, he ran into a corner bodega on Bathgate Avenue, pleading for help. Surveillance footage later showed how terrified he was, clinging to the hope that the store clerk or customers might shield him.

But his hopes were crushed when the gang members dragged him out of the store and attacked him with knives and a machete on the sidewalk. Among them was Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella, who delivered the fatal machete blow to Junior’s neck.

Bleeding profusely, the 15-year-old managed to stumble a few blocks to St. Barnabas Hospital, but collapsed just outside the entrance. Despite the proximity to medical care, he died due to the severity of his wounds and the blood loss he suffered.

Justice and Legal Complications

Martinez-Estrella was among several gang members arrested and prosecuted for Junior’s murder. His original conviction in 2019 was for first-degree murder, a charge that carried the grave assertion of “torture” as part of the crime. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

However, in 2023, an appellate court overturned that first-degree conviction, determining that the “torture” element had not been sufficiently proven. This legal technicality significantly altered the course of his imprisonment. In May 2025, just a month before his death, Martinez-Estrella was resentenced to 25 years to life for second-degree murder, conspiracy, and gang assault charges still severe but allowing the theoretical possibility of parole.

The resentencing did little to shift public perception of his role in Junior’s death. He remained one of the most reviled individuals connected to the case.

A Death That Leaves Questions Unanswered

Martinez-Estrella’s sudden death raises significant questions, both logistical and moral. With the cause of death still under investigation, the public is left speculating: Was it suicide? Was there a drug overdose? Or was there a potential altercation behind bars?

Prisons are often opaque institutions where violence and despair can thrive. Advocates have pointed to the lack of mental health resources, addiction treatment, and protective oversight within state correctional facilities as a growing crisis. Whether Martinez-Estrella’s death reflects these broader systemic issues remains to be seen.

The Trinitarios and the Rise of Gang Violence

The murder of Junior shed light on the violent inner workings of the Trinitarios gang a Bronx-based Dominican gang known for its aggressive tactics and harsh internal discipline. The group had been involved in ongoing disputes with rival gangs, leading to a wave of retaliation and mistaken identity killings.

After Junior’s death, law enforcement cracked down aggressively on the Trinitarios. Dozens of gang members were arrested, and many received stiff sentences. Junior’s case became a turning point in how the city approached gang monitoring and violence prevention, with community programs and increased surveillance introduced in high-risk neighborhoods.

The Legacy of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz

While Martinez-Estrella’s life ended behind bars, Junior’s legacy continues to inspire activism, mourning, and remembrance.

Junior was a child of promise. He dreamed of becoming a police officer and had been working toward that goal by participating in the NYPD Explorers program. His death prompted an outpouring of grief from people across the nation. Celebrities, politicians, and community leaders called for justice under the hashtag #JusticeForJunior, which trended globally for days after the attack.

His story also prompted reforms. The city bolstered youth outreach programs and implemented new measures to help at-risk youth avoid gang recruitment. Memorial murals of Junior still decorate walls in the Bronx, and scholarship funds have been created in his name.

Public and Family Reactions

At the time of this writing, Junior’s family has not released a public statement on the death of Martinez-Estrella. In previous interviews, Junior’s mother, Leandra Feliz, expressed that no legal sentence could truly heal the wound of losing her son.

The public, on the other hand, has responded with a mix of relief, indifference, and discomfort. While some view Martinez-Estrella’s death as a form of poetic justice, others point out the importance of maintaining humane standards in the prison system, even for those convicted of heinous crimes.

A Tragedy That Still Echoes

The death of Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella marks the end of one chapter in a long, painful saga that began on a sidewalk in the Bronx in 2018. While the man who wielded the fatal machete is now gone, the emotional wounds left by the murder of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz remain raw.

This case has always been about more than just one gang member or one moment of violence it is a mirror reflecting the broken systems, misguided youth, and deep societal scars that allowed such a tragedy to happen.

As the investigation into Martinez-Estrella’s death continues, the world once again turns its attention to a case that never truly faded. The memory of Junior, the boy who wanted to be a protector of others, endures as both a cautionary tale and a rallying cry for justice, reform, and compassion.

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