Philadelphia Man Convicted Of Stalking & Attacking Ex-Girlfriend In 2022
Wednesday, September 11, 2024, 12:30 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.- U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero reported, on Friday, September 6, 2024, that a federal jury for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania found Victor Ortiz, 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, guilty of charges of stalking, seriously injuring, and permanently scarring his ex-girlfriend, in May 2022.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial on the morning of May 4, 2022, Ortiz followed his ex-girlfriend as she walked to her office in Philadelphia. Before she reached the building, Ortiz threw soda ash, a caustic substance, on her face and upper body. Ortiz’s attack temporarily blinded her in the left eye and caused severe pain and permanent scarring on her body.
During the investigation, investigators found that Ortiz had attached a GPS-tracking device to his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle so that he could monitor her location and follow her. After law enforcement officials discovered the device, Ortiz was caught on video surveillance attempting to install a second GPS-tracking device on his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle in 2022.
After accepting the jury’s verdict, a U.S. District Court Judge scheduled Ortiz for sentence on December 17, 2024. At that time, Ortiz faces a maximum federal prison term of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Romero States
“Victor Ortiz needed to take ‘no’ for an answer,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But rather than moving on when a relationship ended, he targeted, stalked, and viciously assaulted his ex-partner, causing horrendous physical pain and emotional trauma. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement colleagues to get justice for stalking victims and take the dangerous offenders who terrorized them off the streets.”
