POLICE CHARGE 2 MORE SUSPECTS IN TEEN MURDER CASE

New York City Police Department officers took two men into custody on July 3 in connection with the murder of a 15-year-old Bronx boy. The boy was hacked, stabbed and slashed to death outside a convenience store on June 20 in what police have now concluded was a case of mistaken identity. The killing is thought to have been an act of gang revenge, but police say that they have found no evidence suggesting the boy was a member of any gang.

Police have now arrested 10 men in connection with the killing. The two men taken into custody on July 3 face homicide and gang assault charges. One of them is alleged to be the leader of the Trinitarios street gang. All of those detained in connection with the murder are affiliated with the gang according to police. Reports suggest that the gang was originally formed in the 1990s and is largely made up of individuals of Dominican descent.

Members of the gang have also been linked with a vicious attack on a 14-year-old boy on June 18. The boy was set upon, stabbed and left for dead while walking beside the Bronx River Parkway. According to police, the gang is known for demanding fierce loyalty from its members and taking swift and brutal revenge against those who oppose or threaten it.

The penalties for committing violent crimes can be severe in New York, and experienced criminal defense attorneys may urge their clients to consider cooperating with the authorities when presented with facts like this. Even steadfastly loyal individuals may look for a way out when facing decades of incarceration, and prosecutors generally make their most generous plea offers to the first suspects who step forward and agree to cooperate.

Source: CBS News New York, “Reputed ‘Trinitarios’ Gang Leader Arrested In Connection To Slaying Of Junior Guzman-Feliz”, Valerie Castro, July 3, 2018