The final offenders in connection with the murder of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, 15, will either plead guilty to Manslaughter or face trial at the end of this month, and the victim’s mother has been demanding justice since her son’s horrible murder in 2018.
After meeting with Bronx DA Darcel Clark on October 27, Leandra Feliz spoke to a small group of reporters outside her office. After learning that numerous prisoners had been offered a plea agreement to Manslaughter, Feliz arranged to meet with Clark. The law is the law, and we have to respect it, Feliz added, though he wished the sentences were uniform.
Anguished mother: “They were united in a plot and know what they went out to accomplish because they had a meeting before.” What she’s done for me since the beginning of the lawsuit has been invaluable,” Feliz said of Clark. Since justice was served for seven of them already, I would like to see the same done for the remaining seven, but that is legally impossible.”
“I’d wish for the death penalty for all of them”-Mother says
When a reporter asked her if she felt let down by the judicial system, she said, “I’d wish for the death penalty for all of them.” Irene Estrada, a local activist and Feliz’s advocate was present during the meeting between Feliz and Clark.
She explained: “What happens is they pinpoint how much activity was involved, and because of that, they are asking for the plea deal, and they’re going into court, the jury might say he didn’t participate or might have a heart for them, and right now people are leaning too much in favor of the criminals rather than the victims.”
When we first walked in,” Estrada said, “we were quite outraged. I can tell that Feliz is upset and outraged about everything happening, and she just doesn’t get it. However, when the difficulties were described to the two women, they had a moment of “clarity.”
Bronx District Attorney’s Office announced the indictments of Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, Antonio Rodriguez, Hernandez Santiago, Jose Muniz, Manuel Rivera, and Elvin Garcia for first-degree murder the next day.
In exchange for pleading guilty to Manslaughter, the prosecution has proposed sentences of 18 years for defendant Daniel Fernandez, 12 years for defendants Luis Cabrera Santos and Gabriel Ramirez Concepcion, and five years of post-release supervision for all five.
The Bronx District Attorney also revealed that Ronald Urena, Jose Tauares, and Danilo Payamos Pacheco have all accepted plea deals of Manslaughter in exchange for jail terms ranging from 12 to 15 years; all three individuals will also be subject to 5 years of post-release supervision.
If the plea agreements are not accepted, the last trials in the case are scheduled to begin on January 3, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
