Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Police detail man’s arrest in March slaying outside brewery

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Michael Portaro

When detectives investigate a crime, they often start by looking at other similar incidents in the area for possible patterns: matching suspect descriptions, weapons, modes of operation.

The process prevailed this week as Metro Police arrested 22-year-old Brandon Javon Hill in connection with the death of former Faith Lutheran quarterback Michael Portaro.

Portaro, 22, was shot and killed outside the Tenaya Creek Brewery March 30, near Tenaya Way and Cheyenne Avenue. The victim, an aspiring hip-hop artist, had been selling tickets to an upcoming concert.

At a news conference Tuesday, Lt. Lew Roberts of Metro's homicide division said Hill was stopped April 10 by officers and charged with carrying a concealed firearm. He tried to flee, but was apprehended at the scene, Roberts said.

Police then linked the seized firearm to Portaro's murder, Roberts said. About the same time, detectives received a tip indicating Hill might have been involved in the murder.

As the murder investigation continued, police arrested Hill on May 19 in connection with a robbery in the northwest valley that happened March 26, four days before Portaro's slaying, authorities said.

It's unclear whether the same firearm was used in the March 26 robbery, but the victims identified Hill as the suspect, Roberts said.

Ultimately, DNA linked Hill to Portaro's murder, leading to his arrest Monday in connection with the death, Roberts said. Detectives had collected evidence at the crime scene, including a cigarette that surveillance video showed the suspect smoking before the crime, police said.

The chain of events capped a lengthy investigation into what police described as a tragic "crime of opportunity," in which the victim was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"There's nothing behind door three," Roberts said, emphasizing Portaro's innocence in the situation. "This is clearly a blatant, unnecessary violent act."

Hill, who police say has a criminal history, hasn't confessed to Portaro's murder, Roberts said.

He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and is being held without bail on charges of murder with a deadly weapon, two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of grand larceny-auto and carrying a concealed weapon, according to jail records. His first court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday.

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Richard Portaro, father of 22-year-old Michael Portaro, addresses the media May 11 as he announces a reward being offered in the case.

Roberts credited good police work and community help with solving the case — a classic situation involving linked crimes in an area.

Richard Portaro, the victim's father, thanked police and the community for bringing a sense of closure to his family.

He noted his wife's absence at the news conference as a sign of how the murder and pleas to the public for help in the investigation have taken a toll on the family.

"She doesn't want to do this anymore and neither do I," he said. "We just need to get on with putting the trial together."

Michael Portaro graduated from Faith Lutheran in 2006. His family previously described him as a favorite among relatives and someone who could light up any room he entered.

Police have not released Hill's booking photo, citing the ongoing investigation.

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