Juan David Ortiz
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (September 2018) |
Juan David Ortiz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Juan David Ortiz |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Suspected serial killer |
| Criminal status | Arrested |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3-5 (1 survived) |
Span of crimes | September 3, 2018 – September 16, 2018 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Texas |
| Location(s) | Laredo |
Date apprehended | September 16, 2016 |
Juan David Ortiz is an American border patrol agent and a suspected serial killer.[2] Ortiz is accused of killing 4 women, all suspected sex workers, in the summer of 2018. He was caught and arrested after one of his alleged victims escaped and alerted law enforcement.[2]
Personal life
Ortiz is reported to have been a member of the United States Border Patrol for 10 years,[2] where he worked as an intelligence operator.[3] He is reported to also be a United States Navy veteran.[3]
Arrest
On September 15, 2018 a woman who knew Ortiz and a sex worker named Melissa Ramirez who had disappeared while allegedly in Ortiz's company, got into his vehicle according to reports.[1] After talking to Ortiz about her friend, Ortiz allegedly pulled out a firearm and tore off her shirt. The women escaped by jumping out of the truck and then found a state trooper nearby refueling their car, to whom the victim reported the incident. At 2:30 a.m. the next day Ortiz was arrested by Texas police in a in a hotel parking lot where he was allegedly hiding.[1]
Victims
All 5 of Ortiz's alledged victims were sex workers, 4 were women and one was reported as being transgender.[3] Ortiz allegedly confessed after his arrest that he had started killing on the third of September and that he personally knew the first two alleged victims.[3] He also accused of killing two other individuals in the morning of the 15th in the five hours between the assault on the escaped woman and his capture.[1]
Ortiz allegedly confessed to picking up mother of two 29-year-old Melissa Ramirez on 3 September. After driving down a rural county road in Webb County, a couple miles outside the city, Ramirez got out of the vehicle to urinate, where Ortiz allegedly then shot Ramirez multiple times with a firearm.[1] Ortiz's body was discovered the following day.[4]
Ten days latter Ortiz allegedly picked up mother of five 42-year-old Claudine Anne Luera.[4] After Luera reportedly confronted Ortiz about the disappearance of her friend Ramierez, she got out of Ortiz's vehicle when he shot her in the head. Luera was found alive but died hours latter in the hospital.[1]
The last two alleged victims of Ortiz were found on a five mile stretch of Highway 35. Ortiz allegedly confessed to investigators that he picked up a sex worker and drove her out where he killed her in a similar manner, and then went back to Laredo where he picked up a transgender sex worker and murdered them down the road. Ortiz allegedly led police to site of the crime.[1] Unlike the alleged Ramirez and Luera murders, Ortiz had no prior contact with the last two victims.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Horton, Alex (16 September 2018). "A woman's daring escape from a Border Patrol agent helped reveal a 'serial killer,' police say". The Washington Post. MSN News. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ a b c "US 'serial killer' border agent arrested in Texas". BBC News. 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d Hart, Benjamin (16 September 2018). "Border Patrol Officer Suspected of Killing Four Women in Texas". Daily Intelligencer. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ a b c "Border Patrol agent jailed on $2.5M bond in killings of 4 women in Texas". CBS News. 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.