NORTHRIDGE : Gunman Identified in Murder-Suicide

The Northridge man who shot and killed a 26-year-old North Hollywood woman before killing himself during the weekend was identified Monday as 21-year-old Ulises Portillo, police said.

Portillo shot Sylvia Rosalas three times with a handgun and then shot himself in the head after ramming his late-model Ford van into five parked cars on the 8000 block of Louise Avenue in Northridge, said Los Angeles Police Detective Dave Steinbacher.

According to Portillo’s family, he had been dating Rosalas for about three or four weeks, Steinbacher said. Portillo and Rosalas had been arguing in the van before the shooting, he said.

Steinbacher said investigators have yet to determine a motive for the shooting.

Neighbors on Louise Avenue said they came out of their homes when they heard the sound of Portillo crashing his van into a row of parked cars. When neighbors asked Rosalas what had happened she said Portillo was going to back the van away from the parked cars. Seconds later, neighbors heard several shots.