A man claiming affiliation with MS-13 was found guilty last week of second-degree murder for the unprovoked 2011 shooting of Braulio Gomez, a 38-year-old Chelsea resident.
Santos Portillo, 22, of Chelsea, was convicted of second-degree murder and illegal firearm possession after jurors spent just over two days in deliberation.
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“This result would not have been possible without the witnesses who spoke to investigators, testified in the grand jury, and took the stand at trial,” Conley said. “I want to commend them. But I also want to commend the Chelsea Police detectives and State Police troopers who built the rapport with those witnesses. This is an example of great work by police and civilians alike.”
Testimony over roughly two weeks, presented by Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis from Conley’s Homicide Unit, established that on July 16, 2011, around 2:20 a.m., Portillo approached a group of men gathered on a Central Avenue residence porch.
According to the evidence presented, Portillo inquired what “set,” or gang affiliation, the men belonged to. Gomez, who lived in Chelsea, responded that the group had no gang involvement. Portillo then identified himself as MS-13, drew a handgun, pressed it against Gomez’ head, and fired, killing the unarmed man.
Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett received Gomez, who was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Multiple witnesses identified Portillo from a photo array. On September 15, 2011, he was arrested outside Columbus, Ohio, where he had fled following the shooting. Chelsea Police and State Police homicide detectives working with the Suffolk DA’s office—which handles death investigations in Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop, and state property within the City of Boston—investigated the case.
Michael Schultz served as the DA’s victim-witness advocate. Scott Curtis represented Portillo. He faces the mandatory sentence for second-degree murder: life imprisonment with eligibility for parole after 15 years.