The illegal immigrant accused of fatally shooting 25-year-old Ruby Garcia in a car in Michigan had been previously deported during the Trump administration, the New York Post reported.
Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, of Mexico, reportedly confessed to shooting Garcia, with whom he was romantically involved, multiple times during an argument in her car on Friday, firing at her body after he got out of the vehicle to make sure she was dead, court documents obtained by Fox 17 said.
Ortiz-Vite was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a bench warrant in August 2020 "and served a notice to appear" when he failed to show up to court for driving violations. His criminal history in Michigan reportedly dated back to 2017.
"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," an ICE spokesperson told Fox 17. "At an unknown date and location, Ortiz-Vite reentered the United States without inspection by an immigration official."
According to the Post, the Mexican national has been charged with felony murder, open murder, carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon, and felony use of a firearm.
Garcia's body was discovered on US-131 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, around 11:40 p.m. on Friday and her car was found on Saturday.
Ortiz-Vite reportedly called 911 on himself Sunday morning, saying he wanted to surrender. Michigan State Police arrested him at a church in Allegan County, with apparent blood on his clothes, court documents state.
Arraigned on Tuesday, Ortiz-Vite was ordered held without bail and an immigration detainer was lodged for him, the Post reported.
According to court documents, Garcia's cell phone was found near her body Friday night, with recovered text messages showing that she and Ortiz-Vite planned to meet at her home an hour before her body was found on the highway.
Mavi Garcia, the victim's sister, told The Midwesterner that Garcia was "a great person all around."
"She would brighten up the room with her beautiful smile and laugh," Mavi said. "She loved to travel, was dedicated to her work, and enjoyed being with her family on her free time."
At the time of his arrest, the suspected murder weapon, a 9mm pistol, was reportedly found in Ortiz-Vite's possession.
"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 said at a press conference Tuesday.
Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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