Suspected killer received plea offer for Ruby Garcia’s murder, dumped body on U.S. Highway 131

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Kent County prosecutors have extended a plea deal to a man accused of killing his then-girlfriend and leaving her body on the side of a highway.

Brandon Ortiz-Vite, a Mexican citizen, made a brief appearance Monday, Sept. 9, in Kent County Circuit Court on charges — including open murder — in the death of 25-year-old Ruby Garcia.

Michigan State Police said Ortiz-Vite shot Garcia, whom he was dating, in her car the night of March 22 and left her body on the shoulder of U.S. 131 in the Grand Rapids area.

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Police say Ortiz-Vite shot Garcia, then got out of the car and shot her again in the head, thinking she was still alive. He untied her, removed her body and fled.

Ortiz-Vite surrendered two days later and was arrested at an Allegan County church where he had sought refuge.

On Monday, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker agreed to the guilty plea. Garcia’s supporters sat in the back row of the courtroom gallery. Some wore custom T-shirts with Garcia’s face printed on them.

If he accepts the deal, Ortiz-Vite would plead guilty to second-degree murder, carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm possession.

In exchange, prosecutors could drop the open murder charge, a crime that carries a possible life sentence. However, the minimum sentence for second-degree murder would be 30 to 37 years, Becker told Judge Mark Trusock.

RELATED: Ruby Garcia’s death has become a national news story. Here’s what we know about her alleged killer.

Defense attorneys requested a two-week adjournment, which was granted, to review the Ortiz-Vite deal.

Garcia’s assassination drew national attention and fueled political debate over border policies.

Ortiz-Vite had entered the United States illegally but was authorized to stay under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That status expired in May 2019.

He was arrested by ICE’s Enforcement and Deportation Services in August 2020, and an immigration judge ordered his deportation a month later. Ortiz-Vite was sent back to Mexico, but returned to the United States at some point without permission from immigration authorities.

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