Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella dead: Gang member who killed Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz' dies at Coxsackie Correctional Facility
Share this @internewscast.com

A confirmed gang member, found guilty of inflicting the deadly stab wound in the high-profile 2018 killing of 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, has passed away in a New York state prison.

The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s website reported that Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella, aged 31, was discovered deceased at the Coxsackie Correctional Facility. The specific cause of death has yet to be determined.

In May, a Bronx Supreme Court Justice re-sentenced Martinez-Estrella to serve 25 years to life due to his role in Guzman-Feliz’s murder. Earlier, in March 2023, the Court of Appeals had reversed his first-degree murder conviction, which had resulted in a life sentence without parole eligibility. Nonetheless, Martinez-Estrella’s convictions for second-degree murder, conspiracy, and gang assault remained intact.

Thirteen other defendants who had a role in the deadly 2018 attack are being held accountable for their actions and remain in prison serving their respective sentences, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said.

On June 20, 2018, Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz was mistakenly targeted as a rival gang member by a group of 14 men, all believed to be members of the Trinitarios gang.

Authorities were called for reports of an assault in progress around 11:40 p.m. that day, at a bodega on East 183rd and Bathgate Avenue in the Bronx. When they arrived, witnesses told them there had been a fight in front of the store that resulted in the 15-year-old getting slashed in the neck with a machete.

Officials say Junior then ran to St. Barnabas Hospital, located just a block away, but he collapsed on the sidewalk. His dying words, investigators said, were that he needed some water.

He lived one block from the bodega and was known in the neighborhood as Junior. Investigators say he told his mother he was heading downstairs to repay $5 to a friend, but instead he ended up involved in some type of dispute.

Relatives hugged and cried at the scene the day after the slashing, desperate to understand how and why such a thing could happen. They described him as a typical teenager.

“All I can say was that he was a good kid,” sister Genesis Collado-Feliz said. “He just played PlayStation. He played Fortnite. He played 2K, like every 15-year-old. He asked me for advice with girls.”

The stabbing of Junior stunned the city with its sickening depravity, and launched an international social media movement under the hashtag #justiceforjunior that sought justice for the teen.

Emotional vigils have been held in the years following the boy’s death.

Last November, members of the NYPD released balloons to honor Junior six years after the deadly attack. Guzman was a member of the NYPD’s Explorer Program.

The NYPD released balloons in honor of murder victim Junior Guzman.

In 2019, Junior’s mother, Leandra Guzman, laid flowers down at the spot where her son begged for his life. Standing there, she said, just made her think about how much he suffered.

“I feel the same day, it’s nothing passing for me,” she said. “I don’t feel like any years gone on. I don’t feel that. I feel like I’m in the first day,” she said in 2019.

Justice would eventually come, but as then-NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said four years ago, “I don’t think the family will ever recover in a case like this. It never ends for victims.”

Five gang members were convicted. One man sentenced to life in prison without parole and the other four serve 20-plus years to life.

Martinez-Estrella, who delivered the fatal blow by stabbing Junior in the neck, was initially sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors said that he was not remorseful and that, in fact, a correction officer found him with a one-inch sharp object in his shoe on the way to court that morning.

In court, he told the judge, “I’m sorry” and “My intention was not to cause death,” blaming drugs, alcohol, and allegiance to the Trinitarios gang.

Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, Jose Muniz, and Elvin Garcia were all sentenced to 25 years to life, while Manuel Rivera was sentenced to 23 years to life because of his age at the time of the crime.

Junior’s parents delivered powerful impact statements to the men who took away their pride and joy.

“They killed an innocent child,” Junior’s mother said. “Of all these men, not a single one of them said, ‘No, no, don’t do it.’ That night, there were two deaths, Junior and I, who was left dead inside. As a young boy, my son dreamed of becoming a detective, so he could protect this city…Please make sure my son’s dreams come true. These killers should never be able to step out of a jail cell, so they know the moment they killed my son, they took their own lives as well.”

Junior’s mom has since lobbied for putting panic buttons in bodegas. A free camp was also opened up in after Junior’s murder in his honor.

———-

* Get Eyewitness News Delivered

* More Manhattan news

* Send us a news tip

* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts

* Follow us on YouTube


Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.

Copyright © 2025 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority strikes down 176-year-old abortion ban

Wisconsin Supreme Court’s Liberal Majority Overturns 176-Year-Old Abortion Ban

The liberal majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned a 176-year-old abortion…
For New Yorkers Looking to Flee, a Cautionary Warning: Florida Is Not the Paradise You May Envision

Panic Ensues as DoD Stops Sharing Satellite Weather Data: A Controversial Move Spurs Outrage Among Progressives

The decision isn’t due to financial constraints. It appears the Navy is…
University of Pennsylvania to ban transgender athletes, feds say, ending civil rights case focused on swimmer Lia Thomas

Federal officials state University of Pennsylvania to prohibit transgender athletes, concluding civil rights investigation centered on swimmer Lia Thomas

The University of Pennsylvania has settled a federal civil rights case by…
Federal judge orders Mexican migrant seeking asylum to be released by ICE

U.S. Judge Mandates ICE to Release Mexican Asylum Seeker

A federal judge in Oregon has mandated the immediate release of a…
Water tower in Dulce, New Mexico.

Conspiracy Theorists Claim Secret Underground Base is Operated by Aliens and Was Site of Fatal Battle

A SECRET underground facility has been at the heart of one of…
Anti-slavery document from 1847 reveals American Baptists' commitment to abolition

1847 Anti-Slavery Document Showcases American Baptists’ Dedication to Ending Slavery

In Groton, Massachusetts, Jennifer Cromack was sorting through the American Baptist archive…

Historic Footage of Notorious ‘Mosul Orb’ UFO Released as US Spy Cameras Capture Enigmatic Object Hovering Over Iraq

THE first ever bombshell footage of the infamous “Mosul orb” UFO captured…
Islanders sign KHL star Maxim Shabanov in free agency swing

Islanders Acquire KHL standout Maxim Shabanov in Free Agency Move

The Islanders had more moves to make in free agency. On Wednesday,…
Woman holding a photo of a younger woman with a bird.

Virginia Giuffre’s Family Shares Heartbreaking Note to Her Children Amidst Custody Battle With ‘Abusive’ Husband Robert

VIRGINIA Giuffre left her three children a heartbreaking final letter before her…
Congressional intern gunned down in DC street shooting wasn't intended target: police

DC Street Shooting Claims Life of Congressional Intern; Police Confirm Victim Wasn’t the Intended Target

A University of Massachusetts-Amherst student who was a Congressional student intern was…

Ainsley Earhardt Posts Heartwarming Behind-the-Scenes Photos Months Following Engagement to Fox News Colleague Sean Hannity

AINSLEY Earhardt gave fans a look behind the scenes as she filmed…

Glamorous ‘Goodnight Cinderella’ thief caught after seducing tourists and stealing £13k by drugging them

This captures the arrest of a thief nicknamed “Goodnight Cinderella,” who targeted…