Justice for Junior: Bronx street to be renamed for slain teen
TREMONT, Bronx (WABC) -- A street in the Bronx is being renamed for an innocent teenager killed outside a bodega in a case of mistaken identity that outraged and broke the hearts of a community.
The street renaming at East 183rd and Bathgate is another way loved ones and community leaders hope to continue Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz's powerful legacy.
They want it to encourage those in the Bathgate community and beyond to stop the violence.
"They're going to keep the memory of my son alive, and people won't want to forget the tragedy, how my son was brutally killed," said Leandra Feliz, Junior's mother.
More than anything in the world, she wants justice for her son, who police say was murdered in a senseless gang attack.
"The people need to have more love in their heart and do something better," Feliz said.
Junior's tragic loss has touched the hearts of countless people throughout New York and beyond, inspiring New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres to push the rest of the council to rename East 183rd and Bathgate in the young teen's honor.
"The legacy that Junior leaves behind, summed up in #JusticeForJunior, has been an awakening for all of us," Torres said. "It has become a national rallying cry against youth violence and gang violence in our streets."
The rest of the council still has to vote on the street name change, but Torres is confident he has the support of the majority so Junior's name can live on and serve as a constant reminder to stop the violence.
Junior was a part of the NYPD's Explorers Program, and loved ones say he had so much for which to live.
His mother now hopes "Lesandro Junior Way" will serve as a visible symbol and reminder to stop the violence.
"His is a name that will never be forgotten," she said. "His is a death that will never be in vain."
Investigators arrested and charged 12 alleged gang members for Junior's murder.
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