Chelsea Slay Suspect Back in Bay State

The suspect in this summer’s shooting death of 38-year-old Braulio Gomez is back in Massachusetts and expected to be arraigned on murder charges this morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes announced.

State Police homicide detectives assigned to Conley’s office and Chelsea Police detectives took custody of SANTOS PORTILLO (D.O.B. 7/4/90) yesterday in Columbus, Ohio, and flew back to Boston with him last night. He was booked at Chelsea Police headquarters and is scheduled to appear in Chelsea District Court later this morning.

Portillo was arrested Sept. 15 just outside Columbus on a Massachusetts warrant charging him with murder. Portillo had been sought since shortly after Gomez was shot outside 104 Central Ave. in the early morning hours of July 16. Gomez was transported to Whidden Memorial Hospital at about 2:30 a.m. and died of his injuries.

There is no set time for this morning’s arraignment, but the session opens at about 9:00. Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis of Conley’s Homicide Unit will lead the proceedings.