Illegal immigrant shoots and kills girlfriend, leaves her for dead on side of the road before stealing her car

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A 25-year-old woman, identified as Ruby Garcia, was found dead following what was first described as a botched, drunken carjacking at the hands of an illegal immigrant on Friday, March 22.

Brandon Ortiz-Vite is the 25-year-old Mexican national accused of murder in this case. He's facing charges of homicide/open murder, carjacking, felony firearm, illegally carrying a concealed weapon, operating while intoxicated, and driving on a suspended or revoked license.

It was later discovered that Ortiz-Vite and Garcia were romantically involved. Garcia's body was found "riddled with bullets" and left for dead on the side of US-131. Ortiz-Vite later confessed to police that he shot Garcia multiple times after an "argument."

He exited her car to make sure she died as he left her body on the side of the highway. Her vehicle was found abandoned on Saturday, and Ortiz-Vite called 911 to turn himself in on Sunday. Police said he had blood on his clothes when he was arrested. They picked him up at a church in Allegan County.

During questioning, Ortiz-Vite admitted that Garcia was driving while he was in the passenger seat when they began arguing, although the reason for the argument was undisclosed. Ortiz-Vite shot her multiple times, pulled her out of the car and onto the side of the highway, shot her again to make sure she was dead, then took off in her vehicle.

A 9mm handgun, believed to be the murder weapon, was found on his person at the time of arrest.

The New York Post reported that Ortiz-Vite had been previously deported under former President Donald Trump, only to return at an unknown time. He had a lengthy criminal history in Michigan dating back to 2017.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said, “This is another case of domestic violence homicide, that we’ve seen, frankly, far too often over the past few years."

In a statement, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said, "Brandon Ortiz-Vite, a 25-year-old citizen of Mexico, was arrested by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit on Aug. 31, 2020, and served a notice to appear. 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.

"At an unknown date and location Ortiz-Vite reentered the United States without inspection by an immigration official."