On Saturday, a supervisor with the U.S. Border Patrol was arrested for what Texas police are calling a string of serial killings.
Juan David Ortiz, 35, is accused of murdering four women from Texas and kidnapping another, Fox News reported Sunday. Ortiz faces four counts of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint, Webb County jail records indicated.
A U.S. Border Patrol supervisor was jailed Sunday on a $2.5 million bond in Texas, accused in the killing of at least four women and of injuring a fifth who managed to escape. https://t.co/gySLUIHjNr
— #NBC7 San Diego (@nbcsandiego) September 17, 2018
About 2 a.m. Saturday, police arrested Ortiz after they found him outside of a Laredo hotel hiding in a parked truck, Fox News reported.
Isidro Alaniz, Webb County District Attorney, said investigators “consider this to be a serial killer.”
Alaniz added that all of the women were prostitutes, all were found with gunshots to their head, and then dumped on a rural road in south Texas.
Ortiz’s killing spree, spanned over an 11-day period and started September 4.
Ortiz admitted to killing his first victim, Melissa Ramirez, 29, and mother of two after police found her remains.
His next victim was Claudine Anne Luera, 42, a mother of five. She was found Thursday clinging to life in the roadway, but later died at the hospital.
The following day, Erika Pena escaped being Ortiz’s next victim after he pulled a gun on her inside his truck. She managed to flee to a gas station where she sought the assistance of a state trooper there.
After Pena escaped, Ortiz murdered two more women, however, police have not revealed their identities. Ortiz’s other victims include a transgender woman and two U.S. citizens.
Alaniz said Ortiz reported for work as usual during the entire crime spree, CBS News reported. He said, “As law enforcement was looking for the killer … he would be reporting to work every day like normal.”
Police believe that Ortiz acted alone.
Ortiz’s motive for the murders has not yet been determined. He is being held on a $2.5 million bond.
The Border Patrol released a statement, in which it offered “sincerest condolences” to the victims’ families, and expressed their condemnation of employees’ criminal activities.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the case. The Webb County Sheriff’s Office is mentioned as the source for any questions about the case. However, Sheriff Martin Cuellar could not be reached for comment.
A press conference will be held Monday.
