In the early hours of September 12, 2016, the life of 15-year-old Joshua Guzman was tragically cut short on the streets of Hempstead, New York. The male teenager was discovered in a street gutter at the intersection of Linden and Laurel avenues, having been fatally shot. His father, Raul Guzman, made the heartbreaking discovery by calling his son's cellphone, only to have it answered by a police detective.
At the time of her son's death, Joshua's mother was hospitalized due to a car accident.
Joshua, a sophomore at Uniondale High School, was described as a cherished student and a wonderful member of the school community. In the wake of his death, authorities noted a spike in gang-related violence in the area and believed Joshua may have been a victim of this trend. His father mentioned he had been urging his son to resist the pressure of joining gangs. The investigation into his murder would span several years, leaving his family and community searching for answers.
A major breakthrough in the case came in December 2024, when Junior Zelaya Canales, also known as Terco and identified as a leader of the 18th Street gang, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges connected to Joshua's murder. Federal authorities revealed that Canales had ordered two lower-level gang members to kill the teenager. The motive, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's office, was that the gang perceived Joshua as being 'disrespectful' toward its members. On the night of the murder, Canales had sent his fellow gang members to lure Joshua out to be killed as a demonstration of their allegiance to the gang.
Junior Zelaya Canales was the ninth and final defendant to plead guilty in a wide-ranging racketeering case that also included other murders and gang-related activities. Two of his co-defendants, Israel Mendiola Flores and Jose Jimenez Chacon, were previously sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in the criminal enterprise. Canales's guilty plea brought a long-awaited measure of justice to the family of Joshua Guzman, years after his untimely death.
