A Mexican national who was in the U.S. illegally has been sentenced to 39 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, a case that has become a focal point in the U.S. presidential race due to his immigration status.
Brandon Ortiz Vite, 26, pleaded guilty to murder and other charges in September after admitting to killing Ruby Garcia. On March 22, Garcia was found shot to death along a highway in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Authorities say the couple had been arguing in their car on U.S. 131 when Ortiz Vite shot Garcia in the head, removed her body from the vehicle, and fled the scene.
During his sentencing, Ortiz Vite expressed remorse, telling the court, “The actions I took on the night of March 22 do not define who my people are. I apologize with the utmost respect to all immigrants from all walks of life.”
Former President Donald Trump had publicly criticized the Biden administration, claiming that it failed to prevent Ortiz Vite’s reentry into the U.S. after he was deported in 2020. It remains unclear whether Ortiz Vite reentered the country during the last year of the Trump administration or the beginning of Biden’s.
Judge Mark Trusock called the crime “cold-blooded” and described Ortiz Vite as a “danger to society.” Ortiz Vite indicated that he had been using drugs at the time of the crime but acknowledged his wrongdoing. “I can’t explain my mind that night,” he said. “However, deep down within, I knew I was wrong.”
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