Partner charged in death of woman found on U.S.-131 in Grand Rapids

A man was arraigned Tuesday in the death of a Grand Rapids woman whose body was found Friday on the side of southbound U.S.-131, just north of downtown Grand Rapids, according to authorities.

Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, was arrested Sunday in Allegan County in the slaying of Ruby Garcia, 25, with whom he was in a romantic relationship, prosecutors said.

Ortiz-Vite called Allegan County dispatch Sunday morning, Michigan State Police said at a news conference Tuesday. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said at the news conference that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a statement that said Ortiz-Vite was not in the country legally.

Garcia's body was found at 11:38 p.m. Friday on southbound U.S.-131 near Leonard, according to MSP.

Ortiz-Vite was arraigned Tuesday in Kent County on charges including felony murder, open murder and carjacking. No bond was set.

"This is another case of domestic violence homicide, that we've seen frankly, far too often over the past few years," Becker said.

Becker and MSP declined to answer most questions about the case at the news conference, but Becker said Garcia was shot in her vehicle. He refused to say if Garcia was driving and declined to answer questions about the carjacking charge, though he did say they were the only two involved.

MSP declined to answer a question about how Garcia's body ended up on U.S.-131. Garcia's vehicle was found at 1 p.m. Saturday in a residential area north of South Haven, according to police.

Ortiz-Vite's immigration status added a layer of complexity in a domestic violence case, where a victim may not want to cooperate with law enforcement for fear ICE might interfere, Becker said.

Garcia's sister, Mavi Garcia, said in a GoFundMe campaign organized by the family that her "precious sister was taken from us."