THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Border Patrol ‘Serial Killer’: Family of Woman Reveals ‘Miracle’ Escape From Suspect

Border Patrol agent Juan David Ortiz allegedly carried out four killings.

The family of a woman who escaped the suspected Border Patrol agent serial killer in south Texas—and then helped police track him down for arrest—have said it’s a “miracle” that she’s still alive. Erika Peña, 26, was in a pickup truck with Border Patrol agent Juan David Ortiz on Friday when he pointed a gun at her. She was able to run away and find a state trooper, officials said, and her information led to his arrest. “Yes, to others she is a hero, but it doesn’t take away the fact that she was also a victim in this tragedy. She is a survivor but she is going through serious trauma,” said Peña’s aunt Marcela Rodriguez. Her brother Cesar Alberto Villarreal added, “It’s a miracle that she's alive.” Ortiz reportedly confessed to four killings in which he targeted women who had been driven into prostitution by drugs.