GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A man has pleaded guilty to charges related to the March 22 murder of his West Michigan girlfriend.
Monday, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, accepted a deal and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, felony firearm and carrying a concealed weapon, all of which stem from Ruby Garcia’s death, according to Kent County Circuit Court Judge Mark A. Trusock.
In exchange, the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office will not charge Ortiz-Vite with first-degree murder, which could have come with a sentence of life in prison without parole, Trusock said.
Kent County’s Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Becker said he was confident and ready to take this case to trial.
“People might say there should be no plea option in cases like this, but you’re not the family going through this,” Becker said.
The Garcia family decided to go with an option that would guarantee prison time after Becker explained that there were slim possibilities in a first-degree murder trial that could overturn such a case.
They did not want to take any chances.
“You never know what happens in a trial, things could happen, weird things happen via not guilty is the worst thing. Not that we’re worried about it, but witnesses don’t show up. There could be a mistrial, it could take longer,” Becker said.
There’s also the chance the case could have gotten turned over by a court of appeals for any number of unknown or unexpected reasons.
“He pled guilty to one count of second-degree murder, one count of carjacking, one count of carrying a concealed weapon, and one count of use of a firearm around the commission of a felony,” Becker said.
Monday’s update comes nearly four months after a judge found there was enough evidence to send the 25-year-old to trial on charges related to Garcia’s murder.
Two months prior to that, Garcia, 25, and Ortiz-Vite had reportedly been discussing their relationship before the shooting took place March 22.
Garcia had indicated she was done with the conversation and was going to take Ortiz-Vite home, but Ortiz-Vite thought there was more to talk about, a Michigan State Police sergeant testified May 29.
Ortiz-Vite then pulled on the steering wheel, prompting Garcia to pull over, park the car and tell Ortiz-Vite to get out.
Allegedly, Ortiz-Vite commented on his own immigration status, saying that he was scared of the police and wanted Garcia to take him somewhere, but Garcia refused.
He then declined to get out of Garcia’s car and as she pulled out her phone, took Garcia’s cell phone because he thought she was going to call the police, the sergeant testified.
The pair got into a fight and hit each other before Ortiz-Vite remembered he had a gun and shot Garcia four times: twice in the head, once in the hand, and once in her upper arm, according to forensic pathologist David Start.
Ortiz-Vite confirmed Monday to Trusock he shot Garcia, pulled her out of her car and shot her again.
“He remembered that he had his handgun with him,” MSP Detective Sergeant Aaron Tubergen said. “I believe he said it was ‘instinct’ that he then reached for the gun and then shot her multiple times from inside the vehicle.”
Garcia’s body was found along southbound US-131 near Leonard Street NW, according to state police.
Ortiz-Vite, after abandoning Garcia’s car in South Haven, called Allegan County Central Dispatch two days later on March 24 to confess that he killed Garcia and that he wanted to turn himself in.
“I am calling because I want to turn myself in to a murder I committed two nights ago,” Ortiz-Vite said. “I know what I did was wrong and I will do the time, I just don’t want to die inside.”
The 25-year-old was arrested and charged with murder on March 26.
He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 31, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. The prosecution team recommended 30 to 37 years in prison.
“That’s a good, long sentence that you know, reduces his danger to society,” Becker said.
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Publish date : 2024-09-23 04:36:00
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