A U.S. Border Patrol agent is considered a serial killer after he was arrested in connection to the murder of four women in Webb County.

Juan David Ortiz, 35, was arrested on September 15 and confessed to the slaying of four people. Webb County District Attorney Isidro R. “Chilo” Alaniz said Ortiz faces four murder charges and one unlawful restraint with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Only by the escape of his potential fifth victim were authorities able to connect Ortiz to the crimes which occurred between September 3 and September 15.

All of the victims were prostitutes, which indicates Ortiz purposefully targeted them over the course of two weeks. One of the victims, described in an affidavit as male, was a transgender woman. All victims were shot in the head.

The fifth victim was kidnapped by Ortiz but managed to escape on Friday. She immediately contacted authorities at a gas station after she got away, and state troopers in Texas were able to respond to her first.

The victim gave the police a detailed description of the attacker, whose tattoos and appearance matched that of Ortiz. This was the tip in the mysterious murders that led authorities to putting a warrant out for his arrest.

Ortiz was spotted at a gas station in Laredo, 160 miles southwest of San Antonio, at which point he fled on foot. He ran to a Ramada Inn hotel and attempted to hide in the bed of a pickup truck. He was arrested on suspicion of evading arrest.

In a statement to CNN, Andrew Meehan, a US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, said US Customs and Border Protection is fully cooperating with authorities in the matter.

“While it is CBP policy to not comment on the details of an ongoing investigation,” he said, “criminal action by our employees is not, and will not be tolerated.”

Ortiz is a US Navy veteran who has been with the Border Patrol for ten years. He is married with two children.