Who Are The Trinitarios? The Street Gang Behind The Brutal Slaying Of Bronx Teen

Members of a street gang known as the Trinitarios were reportedly behind the brutal killing of a 15-year-old in the Bronx. A crime scene is pictured outside of a subway station on June 27, 2017 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

New York police have arrested members of a street gang in connection with the brutal stabbing of a 15-year-old outside a store in the Bronx on Wednesday.

The New York Police Department reportedly arrested five members of the Trinitarios gang who allegedly stabbed Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz several times with knives and a machete.

The attack, captured on surveillance video, showed several men dragging Guzman-Feliz from a convenience store in the Belmont area of the Bronx before stabbing him to death. The incident is believed to be a case of mistaken identity.

One of the suspects, Kevin Alvarez, 19, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and gang assault. Ramon Paulino, 21, was also arrested and charged with gang assault and attempted murder.

"Thank God they were caught," Guzman-Feliz's mother, Leandra Feliz, told local network WCBS. "It’s good because they have to pay but I want my son back. If they could give me the life of my son I’d be happy."

The Trinitarios, considered one of the largest Dominican gangs in the country, was reportedly started in 1989 by three inmates at Riker's Island jail. The gang’s namesake is a nod to three Dominican revolutionaries.

The gang is based mostly in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan and has members aged in the teens to early 20's, the New York Post reported. They are known to use machetes and knives as weapons exclusively.

Since the 1990’s the Trinitarios have been reportedly dealing drugs and trafficking illegal weapons, according to United Gangs. The group has also been linked to other crimes such as kidnappings, robberies and assault.

One of their biggest rivals is another Bronx-based gang called Dominicans Don’t Play. The two groups primarily battle over drug turf and at least 10 people have been killed in the crossfire since 2005, according to the Post.

The gang has been linked to several attacks in New York including a fatal stabbing in the Bronx on June 18 that left a 14-year-old in critical condition, the New York Times reported.