GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — The man accused of killing 25-year-old Ruby Garcia and leaving her body on US-131 accepted a plea deal Monday.
Brandon Ortiz-Vite will likely spend the next several decades in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder, carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm in relation to Garcia's death.
Ortiz-Vite appeared before the Honorable Judge Mark Trusock to accept the plea deal.
"You're pleading to second degree murder, which carries maximum penalty of life or any term of years, carjacking, which also carries a maximum penalty of life or any term of years, carrying a concealed weapon, which carries a maximum penalty of five years, and what we refer to as felony firearm, and that is two years that must be served first, and then everything else is served concurrently after that," said the Honorable Judge Mark Trusock.
Ortiz-Vite was originally charged with felony murder, open murder, carjacking and two weapons charges.
Shortly into the hearing, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker shared the plea deal on record, providing a suggested sentencing of 30-37 years in prison, plus 2 years for felony firearm. The 30-37 years would be served concurrently for all of the charges except for felony firearm, which would be served first.
"People would decide not to forego a possible charge on a felony murder or any first degree murder charges that may be possible. Out of this, the parties have agreed on the sentence range for the court to use of 30 to 37 years, which is higher than the normal calculated damage for secondary murder," Becker said during the hearing.
Oritz-Vite's attorney also reserved the right to argue for a lower sentence at the sentencing hearing.
Garcia was killed on March 22. Her body was found by police around 11:35 p.m. on US-131 after she was shot by Ortiz-Vite multiple times and left on the freeway.
Investigators later found Garcia's car in a residential area north of the South Haven area. The car had bullet holes and suspected blood stains inside.
Two days after Garcia's death, Ortiz-Vite called 911 from a church in Allegan County and confessed to killing her, leaving her body and taking her car.
Garcia was laid to rest in March. You can read her obituary here.
It was later released that Ortiz-Vite had been in the country illegally since he was a child. He was previously approved for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and was deported in 2020. It is not clear when he reentered the U.S.
Ortiz-Vite's convictions mean that he could spend life in prison, but Judge Trusock said he agreed to the sentencing suggestion.
Ortiz-Vite will be due back in court on Oct. 31 at 1:30 p.m. for his sentencing.
You can watch the hearing here: