'Junior' Guzman-Feliz Honored By NYPD Youth Explorers

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A special tribute was held Wednesday for a teenager who was murdered outside a bodega in the Bronx over the summer.

The family of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz received a posthumous award honoring their son as a member of the NYPD's Youth Explorer Program.

More of CBS2's Coverage on #JusticeForJunior

The boy who dreamed of one day being a New York City detective was fatally slashed in the Belmont section by members of the vicious 'Trinitario' street gang in what investigators have called a tragic case of mistaken identity.

"That was a dream for my son to be a police, and he decided with his cousin to go and sign the paper to be an Explorer because that was his dream," mom Leandra Feliz said.

Dozens of NYPD Explorers and their commanding officers were also recognized as leaders of tomorrow.

The department's program provides an introduction to a career in law enforcement for young men and woman.

All 14 defendants in Junior's murder have pleaded not guilty. In October, the judge indicated the trial may get underway as early as February.