WEBB COUNTY, Texas — A U.S. border patrol agent accused of murdering four people in Texas is being described as a serial killer.
Juan David Ortiz, 35, confessed to killing four people between September 3 and September 15, according to police.
Ortiz was arrested Saturday after a would-be fifth victim escaped and alerted police.
The bodies of four people were found over the past two weeks. All were shot in the head, according to court documents.
All of the victims worked as prostitutes, says Webb Co. District Attorney Isidro “Chilo” Alaniz.
“He was profiling certain kinds of victims,” Alaniz said. “The suspect was hunting for his victims.”
The prosecutor says he feels comfortable describing Ortiz as a serial killer.
Ortiz faces four counts of murder and one count of unlawful restraint with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Andrew Meehan, a US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, said in a statement that the agency is fully cooperating with investigators.
“While it is CBP policy to not comment on the details of an ongoing investigation, criminal action by our employees is not, and will not be tolerated,” his statement read. “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.”
According to Webb Co. Sheriff Martin Cuellar, Ortiz spent 10 years as an agent with U.S. Border Patrol and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
(Photo by the Webb Co. Sheriff’s Department.)
