Thanks to a tip provided by an alert Las Cruces area resident, police were able to identify and charge a 16-year-old boy believed to be responsible for Sunday morning’s shooting death of Matthew Portillo on the 1000 block of Juniper Avenue.
The suspect, who police will not publicly identify because he is a juvenile, is charged with an open count of murder and one count of tampering with evidence.
The day after Las Cruces police issued a news release and surveillance camera photos of a car believed to be near where the shooting took place, a Las Cruces area resident called Central Dispatch to report seeing a vehicle matching the description. The caller provided police with information that helped identify the vehicle.
Portillo was discovered dead shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 5, on the 1000 block of Juniper Avenue. The incident remains under investigation. Additional details will be released at a later date.
The Las Cruces Police Department thanks the resident who provided the tip that led to the vehicle. Police continue to ask for more information that’s pertinent to this case. Anyone with information that may be relevant is asked to call police at (575) 526-0795.