US Border Patrol Agent Charged With Murdering 4 in Killing Spree

A U.S. Border Patrol agent is now suspected of being a serial killer after he was arrested in connection with the deaths of four women and the kidnapping of another.

The agent’s name is Juan David Ortiz, and according to a report by CNN, he confessed to killing four people just this month. The 35-year-old reportedly carried out his crimes from Sept. 3 to Sept. 15. He was arrested after a fifth victim escaped from Ortiz and contacted the police.

The woman reportedly told law enforcement that Ortiz “hunted for his victims.” Eduardo Chapa spoke to reporters on behalf of the sheriff’s office, revealing that the bodies of four women were attributed to Ortiz’s attacks. All four had died from gunshot wounds to the head, and all four were found over the course of the last two weeks.

Ortiz has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of unlawful restraint with a deadly weapon. Chapa told reporters that the police are not ruling out the possibility of finding more victims in the days to come, and Webb County District Attorney Isidro R. “Chilo” Alaniz said that he feels comfortable describing Ortiz as a serial killer.

“He was profiling certain kinds of victims,” Alaniz noted. “The suspect was hunting for his victims.”

All four of Ortiz’s victims were reportedly sex workers at the time he abducted them. One was a transgender woman. A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Andrew Meehan, told CNN that the agency is doing everything it can to cooperate with the investigation.

“While it is C.B.P. policy to not comment on the details of an ongoing investigation, criminal action by our employees is not, and will not be tolerated,” Meehan said in a prepared statement. “Out of respect for the victims’ family and friends, we ask that deference and due process be given to the investigation so that all the facts are brought to light and they can receive the closure they deserve.”

Meanwhile, Alaniz confirmed that investigators only got a break in the case thanks to the woman who managed to escape from Ortiz. She brought Texas state troopers a detailed description of Ortiz, who had some distinct tattoos by which they were able to identify him. He resisted arrest initially, fleeing the scene where he was confronted on foot. Ultimately, police found him hiding in the bed of a pickup truck.

Ortiz has reportedly been a U.S. Border Patrol agent for 10 years. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy.