Unauthorized US resident admits to murdering woman in Michigan, say police

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. () A migrant from Mexico living in the U.S. illegally was arrested and charged Sunday with murder in connection to the death of his girlfriend in Michigan, according to police.

Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, admitted to killing Ruby Garcia, 25, with a handgun he purchased illegally, court records show. He and Garcia had been dating, according to the documents.

Officials say Ortiz-Vite, who was in the U.S. illegally, faces five felony charges, including murder and carjacking. Ortiz-Vite allegedly shot Garcia multiple times after an argument Friday before leaving her body on the side of the freeway and driving off with Garcia’s 2023 Mazda before abandoning it, court records show.

It appeared Garcia had been run over in addition to being shot, investigators wrote in court documents.

“(Ortiz-Vite) stated that once she appeared deceased, he unbuckled her seatbelt and removed her from the vehicle,” a detective wrote in court documents. “He then stated he drove her vehicle away from the scene.”

Her car was recovered Saturday in the South Haven area. “It had damage believed to be bullet holes with suspected blood stains inside,” according to the documents.

On Sunday, Allegan County 911 received a call from Ortiz-Vite who said he wanted to surrender to police, court records show. He was arrested at a church, sources said.

Police recovered a 9 mm handgun, which Ortiz-Vite said “he had purchased illegally,” court records show.

Police confirmed the two were in a relationship and have called Garcia’s death a domestic violence homicide.

“Through the investigation, it is apparent that he and the victim, Ruby, were in a romantic relationship,” Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said Tuesday at a news conference. “So, this is another case of a domestic violence homicide that we’ve seen, quite frankly, far too often over the last few years.”

“And when you look at domestic violence, this is a domestic violence case, there’s that circle of control, and now you’ve got this immigration status, and what pressure does that put on the victims?” he added.

Ortiz-Vite has had several run-ins with the law dating back to 2017, including drunken driving and illegal entry into a residence. He was deported in 2020 following a drunk driving arrest, federal officials said Tuesday. However, it is unknown when he returned to the U.S.

Garcia’s family and friends remember her as “being full of life and laughter.” A GoFundMe has already raised more than $16,000 for the family to cover service costs.

“It’s nerve-wracking. I don’t know why he did that to my sister. I wish she just would’ve never gone out that night,” Garcia’s sister Mavi said. “She was a good person, she didn’t hurt anybody. She never tried to hurt anybody’s feelings either. She was a good person, I just don’t understand. I guess it was just God’s plan, you know?”

Domestic violence attacks are more common than most believe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported one in every three women experience physical violence from a partner in their lifetime. Plus, one in every five homicides in the U.S. are the result of intimate partner violence.

Ortiz-Vite’s next court appearance has been scheduled for April 9.

affiliate WOOD contributed to this report.