[Archived] Portillo Membreno Sentenced for Murder

For Immediate Release: July 14, 2017

On July 13, 2017, Reinaldo Mauricio Portillo Membreno, a 19-year old Alexandria resident, was sentenced to serve 60 years in the penitentiary with 30 years suspended, conditioned on compliance with supervised probation for a period of 20 years following his release from incarceration and 30 years of good behavior for the murder of Jose Luis Perez Ferman.  The defendant was also prohibited from having contact with the victim’s family and known gang members.

The evidence in this investigation showed that on November 8, 2015, Mr. Ferman was lured into Beverly Park in the City of Alexandria by Leidi Granados Gutierrez.  Once he arrived in the park, Mr. Ferman was viciously attacked by Mr. Portillo Membreno, and a co-defendant, Alvaro Saenz Castro.  The victim suffered at least 21 wounds to his body, including chop wounds, incised wounds, and stab wounds.  The attack was so brutal that Ferman was nearly decapitated.

An intensive investigation was conducted by the Alexandria Police Department that resulted in the arrests of Ms. Granados Gutierrez, Mr. Portillo Membreno and Mr. Saenz Castro.  Granados Gutierrez was tried as an adult and convicted of Compounding a Felony.  Following her plea to that charge, she was sentenced to commitment with the Department of Juvenile Justice and given a suspended adult sentence following her release, conditioned on compliance with supervised probation. Alvaro Saenz Castro has pleaded guilty to first degree murder.  His sentencing date has not yet been selected.

This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney David A. Lord and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Erin Earp.

The defendant has remained in custody since his arrest.  He is currently incarcerated at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, pending his transfer to the Department of Corrections, where he will serve the remainder of his sentence.