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Ruby Garcia
Murder / carjacking
What happened
Ruby Garcia, 25, was shot during an argument with Ortiz-Vite in a car on U.S. 131 in March 2024; he dumped her body along the highway. He later turned himself in. The case was cited nationally in the 2024 immigration debate.
Immigration status (as reported)
Mexican national previously removed in 2020 after a DUI; later returned and was living without lawful status (prior DACA had expired).
Legal outcome
Ortiz-Vite pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and related charges and was sentenced in November 2024 to a minimum of about 39 years (37–100 years for murder plus a consecutive firearm term).
Sources
How to read source labels
News outlets are tagged with a perceived lean (liberal, conservative, or neutral)—a simplified reading of common media-bias charts, not a verdict on accuracy. Official records (court filings, prosecutor releases, agency statements, legislative text) are listed separately and are not scored as “news,” though governments and prosecutors also have interests.
News coverage
- NBC News — 39-year sentencePerceived liberal
- Fox News — prior removal / chargesPerceived conservative
- AP News — 39-year sentencePerceived neutral
- WWMT — sentencing / deportation notePerceived neutral
- FOX 17 West Michigan — 911 surrender callsPerceived neutral
No separate court filing or agency record is linked yet for this case—news accounts below may quote those documents. Primary links will be added when publicly available.