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Undocumented immigrant found guilty in June 2018 murder

Ernesto Esquivel-Garcia, 20, had an immigration hold and was in the country illegally when he murdered 20-year-old Jared Vargas.

SAN ANTONIO — Editor's Note: The above video was published in July 2018 when we learned of Ernesto Esquivel-Garcia's immigration status.

A jury found a 20-year-old man guilty of murder in a San Antonio court Tuesday.

Ernesto Esquivel-Garcia was accused of killing 20-year-old Jared Vargas in June 2018. ICE confirmed Esquivel-Garcia had an immigration hold and he was in the country illegally.

On June 18, 2018, firefighters responded to a call for a fire at an apartment complex on Jones Maltsberger Road near The Quarry and Highway 281. After extinguishing a small fire, one victim was located, officials said. The body was too badly burned to determine the person's age, ethnicity or gender.

The victim was later determined to be Jared Vargas, who had been reported as a missing person.

Police said Esquivel-Garcia killed him, then set the body on fire at an apartment.

An ICE spokesperson said Esquivel-Garcia had an immigration detainer dating back to March 2017 and had been in ICE custody multiple times. In late May 2018, ICE deportation officers instructed him to leave the United States by July 20, 2018. Less than a month later, he was arrested and charged with the murder of Vargas.

Esquivel-Garcia, a Mexican national, will be sentenced at a later date.

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