Donald Trump Blasted For Falsely Claiming He Spoke To Ruby Garcia's Family After She Was Murdered: 'Shameful'

At a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Tuesday, April 2, former President Donald Trump claimed to have spoken to the family of Ruby Garcia, a 25-year-old woman who was allegedly murdered by an undocumented immigrant.

Trump stood before a crowd of supporters in Michigan and claimed he had spoken to family members of the 25-year-old, who was killed last month.

“Ruby’s loved ones and community are left grieving for this incredible young woman, remembering what they called her," the former president told the crowd. "They said she had just this most contagious laugh and when she walked into the room she lit up the room, I’ve heard that from so many people, I spoke to some of her family.”

However, contradicting Trump's statement, Garcia's sister told outlets that neither Trump nor anyone connected to his presidential campaign had reached out to their family.

She expressed her disapproval of Trump's move to politicize her sister's tragic death, stating: "It's always been about illegal immigrants. What about Americans who do heinous crimes like this?"

The young girl's body was discovered with gunshot wounds on a highway in late March, leading to a homicide investigation. The suspect, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, confessed to killing Garcia and disposed of her body along the highway in Grand Rapids.

According to court records, Ortiz-Vite was removed from the U.S. to Mexico in 2020 during Trump's presidency but managed to return, illegally, at an undisclosed time during the Biden administration. Regarding Ortiz-Vite's immigration status, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that his DACA status had expired in 2019, and he was deported in September 2020.

Former President Trump's rhetoric often focuses on crime rates in the U.S., specifically emphasizing incidents involving migrants. For instance, he has previously highlighted the case of Laken Riley, a college student killed in Georgia by an undocumented individual.

Trump's consistent attribution of crime to migrants has stirred controversy and drawn criticism from Democrats, who accused him of exploiting tragedies for political gain.

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow said that “Ruby Garcia‘s death was a horrible tragedy" but that "Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are hell-bent on exploiting Ruby‘s death for their own politics."

"Frankly, I think it’s shameful," she added.

Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!