PORTLAND, Ore. — A suspect in the 2021 slaying of a 30-year-old man has been arrested and faces multiple felony charges.
Jonathon "Johnny" Polanco was shot and killed in a convenience store parking lot on Southeast 92nd Avenue and Holgate Boulevard near Lents Park on Aug. 20, 2021. The suspects had left the area before police arrived.
During the investigation, police identified Leonard L. Edwards of Portland as a suspect. The investigation was presented to a grand jury, which indicted Edwards, now 21 years old, for the murder.
On Tuesday, Edwards was arrested by the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force on outstanding warrants. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center and charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and third-degree assault.
Polanco's family has been notified of the arrest, Portland police said.
Loved ones told KGW in 2021 that Polanco left behind a daughter, with Polanco's fiancée saying that "his heart was full of laughter and joy."
"I refuse to let him go as a statistic," Polanco's brother Rob told KGW. "Like, he has a name. His name is Johnny Polanco, and I will scream it till the day that someone is put behind bars for it."
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Jennifer Hertzler at Jennifer.Hertzler@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-1040, or Detective Joseph Corona at Joseph.Corona@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0508. Reference case No. 21-231670.
