One of the suspects accused of murdering a 15-year-old Bronx teen appeared in court on Friday for his arraignment.
Kevin Alvarez, 19, has been charged with second-degree murder for the June 20 death of Lesandro ‘Junior’ Guzman-Feliz.
Police said Alvarez was the one seen in the video wearing a white t-shirt dragging Guzman-Feliz out of the bodega before he was viciously stabbed to death.
Alvarez, wearing a tan jail jumpsuit, was escorted into the Bronx County Hall of Justice on Friday afternoon for his hearing. He did not speak during his court appearance, according to News 1 reporter Amy Yensi.
Kevin Alvarez, one of the suspects charged in the murder of a Bronx teen, pleaded not guilty in court on Friday
Leandra Feliz and Lisandro Guzman (on the left), the parents of Lesandro ‘Junior’ Guzman-Feliz ,were pictured in court on Friday as one of the suspects was arraigned
Police said 19-year-old Alvarez was seen on the video dragging Guzman-Feliz from the bodega as other man hacked and stabbed the teen with machetes and knives
She said several members of the victim’s family were present for the hearing, and remained silent as Alvarez was brought into the room.
Alvarez pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. He’s one of eight people who were arrested in connection to the teen’s death.
His next court appearance will be at the Bronx Supreme Court, most likely because of the serious nature of the crime.
Lesandro Guzman-Feliz (pictured), a 15-year-old aspiring NYPD cop, was beaten and stabbed to death outside of a Bronx bodega last week in what the police say was a case of mistaken identity
Alvarez’s attorney, Manuel Portela, addressed the media briefly outside the courthouse, releasing the following statement:
‘Up until this day, he had no criminal history. And this is based on a fingerprint analysis. He had no history of violence. He lived with his mother and brother, supporting them. And he was in the US military, and he received a medical honorary discharge. … I ask that the public continue to allow the judicial system, prosecution and the defense to fully investigate this case.’
Alvarez, who police said was affiliated with the gang Trinitarios, spoke with the New York Daily News saying he did not know Guzman-Feliz was going to be murdered that night.
‘I thought it was just going to be a fight when I came out the store and I turned around and saw the machetes,’ he told the outlet in a jailhouse interview.
Alvarez, the father to a three-year-old boy, said he was driving to a party with some friends – who were also arrested in connection to the teen’s murder – when they spotted Guzman-Feliz duck into the bodega.
Alvarez said he pulled over and went into the bodega telling Guzman-Felix that it was going to be a fight. The 19-year-old is seen on video dragging Guzman-Feliz out of the store by his collar.
At one point, Guzman-Feliz gripped the door jamb as Alvarez yanked him onto the sidewalk. As Alvarez dragged Guzman-Feliz across the ground, another man brandishing a machete started hacking at the victim.
Alvarez (the one wearing the white t-shirt and hat) said he did not know Guzman-Feliz was going to be killed that night
Several of the victim’s family members were in court on Friday as Alvarez made his second appearance before a judge
The parents of the victim did not speak to media as they entered and left court, reporters said
‘I only say (the knives),’ Alvarez told the Daily News, saying he backed away and put his arms up when he saw the machete.
‘I yelled at them to stop,’ he said.
He said he cried when a friend called him to tell him that Guzman-Feliz had died. The teen, who was an aspiring police officer, was buried on Wednesday.
Alvarez was the first suspect arrested in the attack. He said he called a lawyer and then turned himself in.
‘I made a mistake by being there,’ he said. ‘I thought it was just going to be a fight. I’ve never seen something like that before, it was traumatic. I can’t sleep in here (jail) sometimes’.
Alvarez was brought to Rikers on Monday, but was transferred after he said other inmates threatened him.
‘I was scared. I don’t get scared. I was in the military, but I was so scared. People think I’m a monster. They want me dead, they want me gone’.
In addition to murder, Alvarez was charged with manslaughter and gang assault.