Roberto Rivera, 48 and a Union City resident, was shot dead while working as a mason in the backyard of a Highlands Circle home in Los Altos on May 4, 2020. Officers found Rivera slumped on his knees with gunshot wounds to his back and head; he was pronounced dead at the scene. This was reported as the first homicide in Los Altos since 1994.

Investigators say security footage captured a suspect arriving on a motorcycle, entering the backyard, shooting Rivera, and fleeing. Authorities arrested 25-year-old Edgar Lainez-Portillo of Redwood City and charged him with first-degree murder and a firearm enhancement. Court documents state Lainez-Portillo had been dating Rivera’s ex-girlfriend, a detail prosecutors linked to motive. Police also recovered a motorcycle and gear matching the footage at Lainez-Portillo’s home. Lainez-Portillo later pleaded guilty and received a 50 years to life sentence with parole eligibility after 25 years.

Does anyone have information about Rivera’s work in Los Altos or memories of Highlands Circle on that day?