www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY April 28, 2019 6
Jury selection begins in the Justice For Junior Trial
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Justice for Junior has fi nally
begun. Five of the 14 accused
gang members that are charged
with murdering 15-year-old
Lesandro ‘Junior’ Guzman-Feliz
outside of a bodega on East
183rd Street and Bathgate Avenue
on Wednesday, June 20, are
now facing trial.
Jury selection began for Antonio
Rodriguez Hernandez
Santiago, Jonaiki Martinez
Estrella, Jose Muniz, Manuel
Rivera and Elvin Garcia at the
Bronx Hall of Justice on Monday,
April 15.
The nine remaining suspects
are due in court on Thursday,
May 2 where they too face murder
charges.
Court proceedings in the
case began on Thursday, October
25. Junior’s parents went
face to face with their son’s alleged
ruthless killers in the
beginning of the grueling process.
“I just need justice for my
son,” Junior’s Mother Leandra
Feliz told supporters. “They left
me dead and my heart broken,”
she emotionally said in Spanish.
Helping make the NYPD’s apprehension
of the 14 gang members
so quick was an overwhelming
fl ood of amateur footage and
tips they received within hours
of Junior’s murder.
This case served as the inspiration
for the Bronx DA’s
offi ce to create its new camerasharing
program, which just
like having a fl ood of amateur
footage in Junior’s instance,
has created an intranet of security
cameras in retail corridors
to aid in either proving or disproving
a crime.
In the 11 months since the attack,
the Bronx has given back
to Leandra and her family in
many ways.
Bathgate Avenue has now
been renamed Lesandro ‘Junior’
Guzman Feliz Way,
while Borough president Ruben
Diaz Jr. helped create
the upstate sleep-away camp
named ‘Camp Junior’ for
Bronx youngsters. In addition
many Bronxites opened their
hearts and wallets with contributions
and donations.
Junior’s parents outside the Bronx Hall of Justice in October. File Photo
Most Wanted Lights it Up Blue for Autism Fundraiser set
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A fundraiser is looking to present autism
in a better light.
The second annual Most Wanted Lights it
Up Blue for Autism Fundraiser will be held
on Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. at McDermott’s
Pub. Mark Vasquez, Most Wanted Motorcycle
Club Bronx Chapter president, and his friend
John Paul, God’s Family Brothers Sisters
Dedication president and co-founder, chose to
hold the fundraiser to support local schools
who provide education and services to children
and their families with autism.
Having loved ones who are on the autism
spectrum inspired Vasquez and Paul to create
the fundraiser to better educate people on
autism and explain the importance education
has for children on the spectrum.
Their goal is to provide P.S. 12 Lewis and
Clark School with its own portable wheelchair
ramps.
Vasquez, a Castle Hill resident, said that
the school currently borrows a wheelchair
ramp from another school so its students can
enter and exit the school.
Paul, a Morris Park resident, said they
will also provide the school with anything its
budget may not cover, such as tablets to help
nonverbal students communicate with their
teachers.
According to Autism Speaks, in 2018 the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
determined that approximately one in 59 children
is diagnosed with an autism spectrum
disorder; one in 37 boys and one in 151 girls.
Autism, or ASD, refers to a broad range of
conditions characterized by challenges with
social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech
and nonverbal communication.
Paul’s daughter Khloe is autistic and has
been nonverbal for most of her life.
He explained that Khloe’s autism makes it
difficult for her to explain to him when she’s
not feeling well and often causes her to become
frustrated.
“They call it the spectrum because every
child with autism is different, but they all
have a hard time explaining how they feel or
meeting new people,” Paul said.
Vasquez said that Lewis and Clark School
assistant principal Cesar Nina and a few
teachers will share their experiences teaching
children with autism and better explain
the disorder.
He hopes that the fundraiser will help
parents with children on the spectrum to be
more accepting of admitting their child has
autism.
The fundraiser is free for everyone to attend
and guests can purchase an arm’s length
of raffle tickets, 10 to 15 tickets, for $20.
Prizes include a bully pitbull puppy; a
timeshare for eight people to Clearwater, FL;
a Smart TV; turkey fryer; Yankees and Mets
tickets; free admission for one adult and three
children to the New York Botanical Garden;
free manicures and pedicures courtesy of Alex’s
Salon and many others.
Vasquez and Paul thanked McDermott’s
Pub for allowing them to host the fundraiser
at their establishment and for their continued
support.
If interested in donating, call Vasquez at
(347) 340-7907 or mvasquez9194@gmail.com.
The second annual Most Wanted Lights it Up Blue for Autism Fundraiser will help
bridge the gap between home and school for children on the spectrum. Photo courtesy
of Mark Vasquez
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