Teen fatally struck by U-Haul ‘loved to help people’
The sun had just settled behind the horizon Monday night when Jasmine Portillo’s family arrived at the site of her death for the second candlelight vigil in two days held in her honor.
Sixteen people gathered on the cool summer night to light candles and tell stories about Jasmine. Multiple members of her family described her as dedicated to helping others, especially family members, and always trying to make people laugh.
“She loved to help people, that was her thing all the time,” said Michelle Portillo, Jasmine’s mother. She said Jasmine had wanted to become either a nurse or police officer for her career.
Her father, Richard Portillo, said that she was especially dedicated to her family. He said that Jasmine regularly broke up fight between her brothers, helped her mom out any way she could and often cooked for her dad to make sure he wasn’t hungry.
“I realized how much Jasmine really did,” Richard Portillo said. “You take for granted sometimes and don’t you don’t realize how much your kids really did for you.”
The 17-year-old died Friday morning after she was struck by a U-Haul truck while riding home on her electric scooter. She was bringing home popsicles she bought for her brother and had just called her mother to tell her she was on her way home.
Her parents are striving to be strong for their other children while still taking time for themselves to grieve for their daughter.
“We’re trying to be as strong as possible,” Michelle Portillo said about her and her husband.
She said she heard one of her sons staying up late the night Jasmine died, apologizing to his sister for wanting popsicles.
The community has given her family a lot of support since Jasmine’s death, Michelle Portillo said. Several people have offered their condolences online and in person, many of whom she had never met.
Michelle Portillo was surprised by their actions because the family had just moved to their current home in May.
“I feel very blessed to know that people are stopping by that didn’t know her and don’t know us because we’re so brand new to the community,” she said.
The family has a GoFundMe page dedicated to Jasmine’s funeral expenses, which has raised more than $6,300 of its $20,000 goal.
Contact Mark Credico at mcredico@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Instagram @writermark2.
