SAN ANTONIO – A fugitive in the 2019 slaying of a young San Antonio mother was arrested along the Texas-Mexico border, according to the U.S. Marshals Office.
Brian Ontiveros, 26, was taken into custody on Thursday in Piedras Negras, Mexico on charges involving homicide, a news release states. He is being held in Eagle Pass and is waiting to be extradited to the Bexar County Jail.
Ontiveros is accused of killing Marissa Jernigan, his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son, on June 8, 2019. He shot her multiple times after breaking into her apartment, the office said.
He fled before police arrived and he then went to Mexico, authorities said.
The case received national attention when it was featured in the Investigation Discovery show “In Pursuit with John Walsh” last year.
In the show, relatives said Ontiveros taunted the woman’s family after her death and posted illicit images and videos of her online.
The U.S. Marshal’s Office said they coordinated with law enforcement in Mexico to find him hiding out in the city of Piedras Negras, which is across the border from Eagle Pass.
“The arrest of Brian Ontiveros is a testament to how effective and valuable our relationships are with our international and domestic law enforcement partners,” U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau said in the release. “Deputy U.S. Marshals and Mexican law enforcement officers remained diligent throughout this investigation and never stopped searching until Ontiveros was finally arrested.”
He is also facing federal charges for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
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