In the early morning hours of March 11, 2018, a night out for 36-year-old Jose Cazares in Oklahoma City turned fatal. The Hispanic male had been with friends at a home before leaving with a woman later identified as Michelle Portillo. What began as a social evening would end with Cazares’s life being tragically cut short in what investigators believe was a robbery gone wrong.
Around 4:30 a.m., police responded to a call near the intersection of N. McKinley Ave. and Linwood Blvd.
There, they discovered Cazares in a parking lot, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The investigation that followed would uncover a deadly plot allegedly orchestrated by three individuals.
Detectives determined that after leaving the gathering with Portillo, Cazares exited her vehicle to walk. It was then that he was confronted by Abel Moreno Quinonez. An argument ensued, and Quinonez allegedly shot Cazares. The investigation led to the arrests of Portillo, age 27, Nilsa Rodriguez, age 39, and Quinonez, age 30. According to a probable cause affidavit, Portillo admitted to a witness that the initial plan was to rob Cazares. The situation, however, escalated into a homicide. Rodriguez was accused of driving Quinonez to the location and helping him escape after the shooting. Portillo and Rodriguez were subsequently charged with first-degree murder, while Quinonez faced a complaint of second-degree murder.
