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Undocumented immigrant accused of double murder
A 29-year-old man who ICE officials say was living in the country illegally is accused in a gruesome crime.
BURIEN, WA - A 29-year-old man is accused of murdering his girlfriend and her friend in their home in Burien.
The suspect, Marvin Ortiz Montecinos, who investigators said also has a wife and children in Guatemala, is behind bars.
He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and his bail is set to $10 million dollars.
What investigators said happened
According to probable cause documents FOX 13 Seattle obtained, Ortiz Montecinos killed his girlfriend an hour after she broke up with him.
Investigators said Ortiz Montecinos brutally stabbed Victoria Aparicio Cruz more than 20 times. According to the probable cause documents, Ortiz Montecinos then killed Yaneth Gomez Hernandez, her friend and roommate, because she tried to intervene.
Gomez Hernandez was the mother of a 10-year-old boy who lived in Guatemala.
Victoria Aparicio Cruz and Yaneth Gomez Hernandez
According to investigators, the suspect and two victims lived in the same apartment in Burien.
A reported bogus excuse
When police arrived, they found Ortiz Montecinos outside the apartment. The only thing he said was "my fiancé," in Spanish, according to the report.
Oritz Montecinos tried to make it seem like he was also a victim, according to investigators. He was reportedly covered in cuts and blood, and told detectives he was asleep in the apartment when he heard his girlfriend scream. He then told investigators he was attacked by a man who was hiding in their house, according to the report.
However, investigators said the evidence did not add up. Text messages between Ortiz Montecinos and Aparicio Cruz show he was not home, according to the probable cause report.
Investigators also only found a single set of footprints connected to the crime, and evidence on a lock at the front door, they say disproves Ortiz Montecinos claims.
A double murder an hour after a break-up message
The incident happened about one hour after text messages show Aparicio Cruz broke up with Ortiz Montecinos, according to the report.
Investigators said they are concerned Ortiz Montecinos would flee the country if he was released. The report states Ortiz Montecinos has family in Guatemala, including a wife and children. The report also said Ortiz Montencinos had a sibling in Seattle when the murder happened, who is now back in Guatemala.
Victim's family asking for help
The family of Gomez Hernandez is looking to the community for help.
They have created a GoFundMe to raise money to ship her body back to Guatemala, where her child and her mother live.
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ICE involvement
ICE said they filed an immigration detainer with King County Jail for Ortiz Montecinos. A spokesperson with ICE said, "Ortiz is alleged to be one of the worst of the worst criminal aliens who pose a threat to the security of our communities."
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The Source: Information in this story came from the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and probable cause documents filed in King County Superior Court.