Border Patrol agent arrested in women’s deaths

Police in Texas arrested a U.S. Border Patrol supervisor who confessed early Saturday to killing four women and assaulting a fifth who escaped him. Authorities are holding Juan David Ortiz in Laredo on $2.5 million bond. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said Saturday that investigators consider Ortiz a serial killer whose victims were believed to be prostitutes. Ortiz reported to work as usual throughout the 10 days when the attacks happened.

The body of 29-year-old Melissa Ramirez was discovered Sept. 4 on a road in rural northwest Webb County. Like the other victims, Ramirez was shot in the head. Another victim, Claudine Anne Luera, 42, was found dead Thursday. Then on Friday, another woman, Erika Pena, struggled with Ortiz inside his truck and managed to flee to a gas station, where she found a state trooper whom she asked for help. According to the affidavit, Ortiz told investigators that after Pena ran off, he picked up his last two victims, whose identities have not yet been released by authorities. At least two of the victims were U.S. citizens, but the nationalities of the others were not known, according to Alaniz, who said investigators are still working to determine a motive.