Border Patrol agent in Texas killed final 2 victims during manhunt, police say
LAREDO, Texas — New details are emerging about how a would-be victim helped stop a killing spree. Sheriff's deputies said the suspect, a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agent, has confessed.
Late Monday afternoon, investigators recounted the chilling details of how agent Juan David Ortiz, 35, lured and allegedly murdered four women.
The killing spree began on Sept. 3, when Ortiz allegedly killed 29-year-old Melissa Ramirez and left her on the side of the road. Last Thursday, he then allegedly picked up and then shot 42-year-old Claudine Anne Luera, also leaving her on the side of the road.
He's accused of picking up Erika Pena, who escaped from his truck on Friday after she pulled off her shirt to get free. She fled from his vehicle and alerted a state trooper, starting the manhunt for Ortiz.
During the five-hour search, detectives said he killed two more women before he was found hiding under a truck in Laredo. Officials said Ortiz's victims are believed to have been sex workers. It's unclear if there are any more victims, and the Webb County Sheriff's Office saying the investigation is ongoing.
Ortiz served in the U.S. Navy and then worked for CBP for almost 10 years. What investigators don't know is why Ortiz went on the alleged killing spree. He was jailed Sunday on $2.5 million bond.