Final defendant in Junior murder trial pleads guilty, bringing painful case to a close

The last remaining defendant in the brutal murder of teen Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz has pleaded guilty for his role that ultimately ended Junior's life in 2018.

News 12 Staff

Dec 14, 2022, 11:11 AM

Updated 666 days ago

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The last remaining defendant in the brutal murder of teen Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz has pleaded guilty for his role that ultimately ended Junior's life in 2018.
Daniel Fernandez, 25, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Fernandez, a member of the Trinitarios gang, is the last of 13 defendants who had a role in Junior's death to be held accountable. The defendants mistook Junior for a rival gang member and chased him into a Belmont bodega where he tried to hide before the group beat and dragged him onto the sidewalk.
Although Fernandez did not stab Junior, the Bronx district attorney says he took part in beating and dragging him from inside of that bodega before the others attacked him with a machete and knives.
The five co-defendants who stabbed Junior were convicted of murder and sentenced back in 2019. The two leaders who ordered the attack were also sentenced in September of this year. In November, the remaining defendants pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
The Bronx DA stated that although this brings an end to the case, she believes it will never bring closure for Junior's family.