WATCH LIVE: Funeral for Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz held at Bronx church Wednesday
06/27/2018 6:41 am PDT
By Anthony DiLorenzo, WPIX
BELMONT, the Bronx -- (WPIX) -- As Bronx teen Lesandro Guzman-Feliz will be laid to rest Wednesday, calls for justice are being answered one by one.
Funeral services for Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz have been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in the Bronx, according to the church. The funeral can be seen live on PIX11's Facebook page.
Father Jonathan Morris, the pastor at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, said the service and a vigil this Sunday will pray for the teen's soul and eternal rest, but also reject gang life.
“Thank God Junior was not involved in that, so he can stand out and say, this is evil and it was evil against good. It was evil against an angel, and that's who Junior is for our neighborhood now.”
Since Guzman-Feliz's death, Morris said the boy's family has demonstrated unbelievable faith.
“The family has set an example — it's not about retaliation. Yes justice, but it's not about retaliation. It's about making sure that our kids do not get involved in gang life and gang violence and making sure our kids and streets, the good kids like Junior, are safe,” Morris said.
Morris said the theme of Sunday's vigil will be “Be The Light.”
“Which is making sure that we keep our kids out of the darkness and the evil that is gang life and gang violence, and inviting all of our youth to make a decision that they are going to choose life and light rather than death and darkness.”
It comes as six other suspects, Jose Muniz, 21, Jose Taverez, 21, Manuel Rivera, 18, Danel Fernandez, 21, Joniki Martinez, 24, and Santiago Rodriguez, 24, reputed members of a ruthless Dominican gang are being shipped back to the Bronx from New Jersey where they were arrested.
Another suspect, Kevin Alvarez, 19, was charged on Monday. He pleaded not guilty.
All face the same charges including murder, manslaughter and gang assault.
Sadness has grown into anger in the Bronx.
Last week, Guzman-Feliz was lured outside his Belmont home, and savagely attacked with a machete and knives in a case of mistaken identity.
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