GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Brandon Ortiz-Vite, aged 25, stands accused of the murder of Ruby Garcia, a 25-year- old woman from Michigan.
Garcia’s body was discovered shot dead on the side of highway U.S. 131 in downtown Grand Rapids on Friday, following what authorities suspect was a carjacking incident gone awry.
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Michigan State Police are currently conducting an investigation into Garcia’s tragic demise, focusing on the possibility of her being a victim of a carjacking that occurred around 11:38 pm on a Friday night.
Ortiz-Vite, designated as a person of interest, is now in custody according to multiple news reports including the Midwesterner. Law enforcement says he faces charges of felony murder, car-jacking and carrying a concealed weapon.
WOOD-TV reports that Ortiz-Vite was deported in September of 2020 following a drunk driving arrest in Grand Rapids and returned “at an unknown date and location,’’ according to a news release from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They also report that he’s had numerous run-ins with the law over the years.
ICE said in a news release that following his arrest in Allegan County on Sunday that the U.S. Justice Department “lodged a detainer with the Kent County Jail for him.
In the wake of this heart-wrenching event, Garcia’s family has initiated a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to cover her funeral expenses.
While details regarding the relationship between Ruby Garcia and Ortiz-Vite remain unclear, Mavi Garcia, Ruby’s sister, has chosen not to disclose any information, except confirming Ortiz-Vite’s immigration status as illegal with the Daily Mail.
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