Kimberly Venegas-Gonzalez Obituary, Death; Police name victim in fatal Southeast Portland standoff.
Kimberly Venegas-Gonzalez Obituary, Death – On Sunday evening, a tense standoff in Southeast Portland ended with the discovery of a young woman’s body and the arrest of a 20-year-old suspect. The incident began around 6:30 p.m. when Portland police officers were dispatched to a home near Southeast 170th Avenue and Southeast Division Street for a welfare check. A man had called 911 to report that a woman was dead inside the residence.
When officers arrived, they encountered a man barricaded in the home, believed to be armed. Due to the potential danger, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) called in tactical units and crisis negotiation teams to assist. While attempting to establish communication, police decided to breach the home’s front door. Inside, they found a woman’s body, later identified as 21-year-old Kimberly Venegas-Gonzalez of Portland. Her family was notified and has requested privacy during this time.
Venegas-Gonzalez was removed from the home, but the barricaded man remained inside, refusing to comply with officers’ commands. For the next several hours, negotiators worked to resolve the standoff peacefully. Shortly before 9 p.m., the suspect finally surrendered and was taken into custody. He was transported to a hospital for medical evaluation before being moved to jail.
Investigators determined that Venegas-Gonzalez had died from a gunshot wound. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. Police also recovered a firearm from the scene, which they believe was used in the shooting.
The suspect, identified as Leonel Macias, 20, of Portland, was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. The PPB Homicide Unit is leading the investigation.
Authorities have not released details about the relationship between Macias and Venegas-Gonzalez, nor have they disclosed a possible motive. The circumstances surrounding the shooting and standoff remain under investigation.
Police are urging anyone with information who has not yet spoken to detectives to come forward. They can contact Detective Samantha Cater at Samantha.Cater@police.portlandoregon.gov or Detective Brent Christensen at Brent.Christensen@police.portlandoregon.gov, referencing case number 25-216281.
The deadly incident marks another violent episode in Portland this year, drawing attention to the risks officers face during armed standoff situations and the devastating consequences of gun violence. For neighbors in the Southeast 170th Avenue and Southeast Division Street area, the hours-long police presence and tactical response were both unsettling and tragic, ending with the loss of a young woman’s life.
While the investigation continues, the community and Venegas-Gonzalez’s loved ones are left grappling with grief and unanswered questions. Police have pledged to release further updates as they become available. For now, the focus remains on gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and preparing the case against Macias in court.
