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But despite her heroic deeds, the woman could not save two other women who were killed a few hours after reporting the officer to the state police, according to a sworn statement from the police.
Juan David Ortiz, a 10-year veteran of the US Customs and Border Protection, is charged, among other charges, with four counts of first degree murder. Authorities call him a serial killer.
"The suspect was looking for his victims," said Isidro Alaniz, District Attorney Webb.
The arrest of the 35-year-old Navy veteran occurred on Saturday, a few hours after Erika Pena narrowly escaped her fifth murder victim, according to affidavits.
Ortiz picked up Pena around 9 pm Friday on San Bernardo Avenue, a prostitution center, and drove him home in the northern part of the city.
Pena knew Ortiz as "David" and she said she "started acting strangely" when she mentioned her acquaintance, Melissa Ramirez, who had been killed the previous week, according to an affidavit. Pena fell ill and went out to vomit in Ortiz's yard.
Later, the two men left in his white Dodge van and stopped at a Texas Loop gas station, about 10 minutes from his home, where they again discussed Ramirez, police said.
David then took out a gun (black) and pointed at her. Erika tried to leave the vehicle. David grabbed his shirt to prevent him from getting out of the vehicle. Erika started screaming for help, "says the affidavit.
Pena was torn from her hand, tearing off her top and wearing her naked torso to State Cavalier Francisco Hernandez, who was filling up at the gas station. Ortiz left by car, according to the police.
Hunting Ortiz
At the sheriff substation, Pena described Ortiz, his tattoos and his truck before accompanying the investigators to his home. A property search identified Ortiz as the owner, says the affidavit.
Police have issued an alert so that law enforcement agencies are on the lookout for Ortiz and his white truck just after midnight. Around 1 am State police found him at a petrol station off San Bernardo Avenue and approached him. Ortiz fled, according to the police.
They found him about an hour and a half later, hiding in the bed of a truck in the parking lot of a Ramada Inn, according to Alaniz.
Here, the story becomes quite shocking, as the police say Ortiz confessed not only to assaulting Pena and committing four murders – but also killing two of his victims after Pena escaped from his truck.
Ramirez, 29, was his first victim, police said. Ortiz told the police that he had picked her up on September 3 near San Bernardo Avenue and had driven her to the outskirts of the city, where she had left her vehicle for to urinate on the side of the road. Ortiz shot him several times at the back of his head and ran away, according to police.
On Thursday, Ortiz took another woman – Claudine Ann Luera, 42 years old – and drove her out to Laredo. After being suspicious and accused Ortiz of being the last person seen with Ramirez, Luera came out of the vehicle, the statement said.
Ortiz shot him several times in the head and escaped, police said. A truck driver then found Luera's body on the side of the road.
Not deterred by escape
After Pena escaped from Ortiz's pick-up truck on Friday, the border patrol officer continued his predatory path, returning to the San Bernardo Avenue area, where he picked up another woman on Saturday on the Interstate 35. The affidavit ordered the woman – identified only by Jane Doe – to get out of the car and shoot him repeatedly in the head.
Later on Saturday morning, Ortiz again returned to San Bernardo Avenue and took a transgender woman and climbed Interstate 35. About five kilometers from the place where he killed Jane Doe Ortiz ordered the woman to get out of the vehicle the chief, the affidavit said.
Ortiz told investigators that they would find the body behind gravel pits on Interstate 35, according to the affidavit. The police also found a used shell, says the affidavit.
"This person was working for intelligence, the intelligence part of the Border Patrol, so he was getting all the indications that the local law enforcement had received," he added, relieving Pena of being able to Escape and lead the authorities to Ortiz. . "Otherwise, she could have been killed, would have been victim number five, and heaven knows there would have been more after number five."
According to the prison records, Ortiz is charged with four counts of murder, aggravated assault with a lethal weapon, unlawful restraint: exposing him to serious injuries and escaping detention.
His bail is set at over $ 2.5 million, according to prison records and handwritten notes on arrest warrants against Ortiz.
Amir Vera and Ed Lavandera of CNN contributed to this report.
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