A former UC Santa Barbara student who suffered a fatal head injury in a fall that occurred during an amorous embrace was identified today as an Eagle Rock resident who was celebrating her 22nd birthday.
Melissa Portillo and a boyfriend were kissing on the second-floor porch of an an Isla Vista apartment on Cordoba Road about 1 a.m. Saturday when the possibly alcohol-related accident happened, according to Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies.
Portillo, who had her back to the railing, and the young man fell off the porch onto a paved parking lot.
She was declared dead shortly afterward at a hospital, and the young man was taken to a hospital with head and back injuries, authorities said.
Portillo, who earned a political science degree this past summer, was expected to drive her family’s home in Eagle Rock yesterday, according to broadcast reports.
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