The illegal migrant accused of shooting dead a 25-year-old Michigan woman during a botched carjacking attempt had been deported during the Trump administration — but then slipped back into the US, according to officials.
Mexican national Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, has allegedly confessed to repeatedly shooting Ruby Garcia during an argument late Friday — including once after he got out of her car to make sure she was dead, according to court documents obtained by Fox 17, which said the pair were romantically involved.
Ortiz-Vite already had a criminal history in Michigan dating back to 2017, and was arrested on a bench warrant in August 2020 after failing to show up in court for driving violations, the outlet reported.
He was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement “and served a notice to appear,” an ICE spokesperson told Fox 17.
“He was ordered removed by an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review Sept. 24, 2020, and was removed to Mexico Sept. 29, 2020,” the immigration rep said.
“At an unknown date and location Ortiz-Vite reentered the United States without inspection by an immigration official.”
Ortiz-Vite has now been charged with felony murder, open murder, carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon, and felony use of a firearm after Garcia’s bullet-riddled body was found on US 131 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, around 11:40 p.m. Friday.
Garcia’s car turned up abandoned on Saturday. The following morning, Ortiz-Vite called 911 on himself, saying he wanted to surrender, Fox 17 said.
Michigan State Police officers picked him up at a church in Allegan County. He was described as having apparent blood on his clothes, according to court documents.
The migrant was arraigned Tuesday and ordered held without bail in the Kent County jail. An immigration detainer has been lodged for him.
Text messages recovered from Garcia’s cellphone, which was found near her body last week, showed that she and Ortiz-Vite planned to meet at her home on the night of her killing, according to the court records obtained by Fox 17.
Under questioning, Ortiz-Vite allegedly admitted to shooting Garcia several times during an argument inside her car, the outlet said. There was no immediate word on what caused their initial fight.
The suspect allegedly said Garcia was sitting in the driver’s seat and he was in the passenger seat during the shooting. After the initial barrage of gunfire, Ortiz-Vite got out of the car, walked around and shot the woman once more, thinking she was still alive, according to the documents.
Ortiz-Vite allegedly admitted to pulling Garcia’s body out of the car, dumping it on the side of the freeway and driving away, Fox 17 said.
At the time of his arrest, troopers found in his possession the suspected murder weapon, a 9mm pistol, the documents said.
“This is another case of domestic violence homicide, that we’ve seen, frankly, far too often over the past few years,” Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker told a press conference Tuesday.
Garcia’s devastated sister, Mavi Garcia, described her slain sibling to The Midwesterner as “a great person all around.”
“She would brighten up the room with her beautiful smile and laugh,” said Mavi. “She loved to travel, was dedicated to her work, and enjoyed being with her family on her free time.”