FINNEY COUNTY—Four years after the murder of a southwest Kansas man police have made an arrest.
In September 2019, Ernie Ortiz was found shot outside of his family restaurant and later died at the hospital. It is believed Ortiz was shot during a robbery after he closed the business for the night.
On Wednesday, police arrested a woman in connection with the homicide. Samantha Jo Smith, 32, faces multiple charges for her involvement in the shooting death of Ortiz.
In September 2019, Officers of the Garden City Police Department responded to the area of Buffalo Jones Avenue and Bancroft Street for a reported person down.
When they arrived, Officers found Ortiz lying in the parking lot of the El Conquistador Restaurant with gunshot wounds. Ortiz was transported to St. Catherine Hospital and later died.
In June 2023, the Garden City Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for First-Degree Murder and Aggravated Robbery against Smith in connection with the case.
Police in Garden City worked with U.S. Marshals to locate Smith as she had moved out of Kansas. On September 6, the U.S. Marshals located and arrested Smith in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
In January, Crime Stoppers in southwest Kansas offered a $21,500 reward for information in the shooting death.