Texas Mother of 4 Brutally Stabbed To Death By Convict Boyfriend

A Texas woman was found dead in her car at a gas station parking lot.

DEAD IN HER VEHICLE

 34-year-old Iliana Michelle Garza was found unconscious in her vehicle at Toot'n Totum in Amarillo, Texas. When police arrived at the scene they quickly ruled her death as an apparent homicide. Her body had fatal stab wounds.

THE SHOCKING SUSPECT WITH A DARK PAST

It wasn't long after police discovered Garza's body that a suspect was identified and taken into custody. Shockingly, the man taken into custody was John Paul Ortega, which was Garza's boyfriend at the time.

John Paul Ortega had a long rap sheet and a chilling past. According to records, Ortega had just been released from prison 5 months before this tragedy. He was serving a sentence for a startling amount of disgusting crimes including 15 years for sexual assault of a child, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault against a public servant, possession of a controlled substance, and cruelty to animals.

UPGRADED CHARGES

Ortega was originally charged with murder but this week his charges have been upgraded to capital murder. Garza was a mother of three children and at the time of her death, was pregnant with her fourth, which prompted officials to upgrade his original charges.

REMEMBER ILLIANA:

As Garza's family began to mourn the loss of Iliana Michelle Garza they remembered her spirit, describing her as, "A beautiful person, she was very humble and kind to everyone," said her obituary. "She enjoyed spending time with her family and dedicated her career as a correctional officer, She also served as a paraprofessional for the Juvenile Charter School."