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
‘River of Angels’ memorial rises in Kerrville as flood victims remembered

“‘River of Angels’ Memorial Erected in Kerrville to Honor Flood Victims”

KERR COUNTY, TEXAS – Over the past 72 hours, an expanding tribute…
Mountain lion possibly sighted in this New York city

Possible Mountain Lion Sighting Reported in New York City

A big roar rattled residents in Rochester and hit a bit too…
Portrait of Samantha Lewthwaite wearing a black hijab.

Fugitive ‘White Widow’ Samantha Lewthwaite Reportedly Continues to Support Terror Financing Efforts

The infamous ‘White Widow,’ a British terrorist connected to 400 deaths and…
Jonestown survivors weigh in on site becoming tourist attraction

Jonestown survivors comment on plans to turn site into tourist destination

Jonestown remains etched in the American conscience as one of the darkest…
Hamas working to 'sabotage' Trump-backed aid group with 'fake news': Israeli official

As US-supported group provides 70 million meals, UN and NGOs work to undermine competing Gaza aid organization

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by the U.S. and Israel, has…
Woman found guilty in mushroom murder mystery that left three family members dead after meal

Woman Convicted in Mushroom-Related Murder Case that Claimed Lives of Three Family Members After Dining Together

A woman who poisoned four family members, killing three of them, is…
Nigel Farage on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast show.

Nigel Farage Argues for Britain to Retain the Elgin Marbles

NIGEL Farage has waded into the Elgin Marbles row saying they “absolutely”…
George Retes, disabled vet and US citizen, taken during Camarillo, California immigration raid at Glass House Farms: family

Disabled Veteran George Retes Detained in Immigration Raid at Glass House Farms, Camarillo, California, Says Family

Family members are in a state of distress seeking information after a…
Man holding photos of murder suspect, mistakenly identified as suspect.

Travis Decker Doppelgänger Claims He ‘Spent Night Near Murderer’ While Evading Police for Days During Manhunt

A MAN mistaken for accused child killer Travis Decker has spoken out…
Trump Drops the Hammer in New Statement on People Who Are Physically Attacking ICE Agents

Trump Issues Strong Response to Attacks on ICE Agents

The violence against ICE agents and other federal immigration law enforcement has…
Vladimir Putin speaking at a press conference.

West Must Overcome All Members of ‘Axis of Evil’ to Stop Putin’s Tyranny, Warns Former Top U.S. General

WESTERN nations must change their attitude to Russia and crush the war…
2025 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival at Music Box Theatre in Lakeview, Chicago elevates voices of marginalized filmmakers

2025 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival Elevates Marginalized Filmmakers at Music Box Theatre, Lakeview, Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — The 2025 Cinema Femme Short Film Festival returns July…