Hayward teen’s murder remains unsolved; mother demands justice

(KRON) — Two years after 15-year-old Erick Portillo was shot to death outside his Hayward home, the case remains unsolved, and his mother is calling for Alameda County’s new district attorney to take action.

Portillo was gunned down on Aug. 1, 2023, leaving behind his mother, Brenda Angulo, and a sister.

“I don’t have my son, my child with me,” Angulo said. “It’s weird not being around my son. Can someone just help me, please? I need justice for Erick.”

More than a year after Erick was killed, Hayward police released a surveillance photo of possible suspects, asking for the public’s help. However, no arrests have been made in the case, and Angulo says she hasn’t received an update from the Hayward Police Department in two months.

Portillo would have graduated from high school this upcoming year and had dreams of playing football at Stanford University. On Friday, Angulo and dozens of loved ones gathered to release balloons on the second anniversary of his death, reigniting hope for justice.

Hayward PD Officer Jessica Banuelos provided KRON4 with a statement Sunday regarding the investigation.

“With the anniversary of his death having just passed, we recognize the pain and unanswered questions they continue to face,” Banuelos said. “The investigation into Erick’s death remains open and ongoing. While the previously assigned detective has been reassigned, a new detective is actively reviewing all case materials to determine the next steps. We remain committed to pursuing any new information or evidence as it becomes available.”

Watch the full report from KRON4’s Jack Molmud in the video at the top of this story.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.