Community Rallies At Vigil Around Mother Of 15-Year-Old Homicide Victim
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Two weeks after 15-year-old Jhosy Portillo was shot and killed in Highlandtown, a neighborhood continues to mourn his loss.
During a vigil Tuesday night, a community gathered together as one, to show the Portillo family they aren't alone.
Portillo's mother, Cristina Guadalupe, along with his sister attended.
"No child deserved to die the way my son was killed," cried Guadalupe Tuesday.
The group gathered on the corner of East Baltimore Street and Highland Ave. where Portillo was last seen alive.
The vigil, organized by Comite Latino de Baltimore and CASA de Maryland, then walked around the block, the same block Portillo walked, moments before he was killed while walking to the store.
"He told me he just wanted to come to the corner store and buy something and that was the last time I saw him, I had to get ready to go to work and I left and that was that," Guadalupe said.
Now, a community is showing their support.
"Tonight is about making sure they know that even when the cameras are gone when no-one else is thinking about Jhosy, we're still gonna be there supporting this family," said Mayor Brandon Scott at the vigil.
Many families, said they share in Guadalupe's sadness but are also calling for change after Portillo's death has left many, in a largely Latino neighborhood, feeling scared.
"They don't know if they can leave the kids outside," said Lucia Islas, President of Comite Latino de Baltimore.
Councilman Zeke Cohen, who represents this neighborhood, vowed to "continue to make sure that mothers feel safe sending their kids to school" and to support the mental health of their communities.
Days after Portillo's death, police released this video asking for help identifying a man seen running from the scene.
But on Tuesday, Mayor Scott said nothing had changed in this unsolved case. "There are no updates," he said.
In the meantime, Portillo's mother said she misses everything about her son.
The family has set up a GoFundMe Page to help them pay off their funeral expenses.
