$5 million bond set for immigrant deported 7 times before allegedly killing man in Hamilton

Fermin Garcia-Gutierrez, 46, now charged with aggravated murder in a Hamilton case, is shown on a poster prepared by Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones and featured at a press conference March 29, 2024. Garcia-Gutierrez has been arrested several times, deported and arrested again, Jones said. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Fermin Garcia-Gutierrez, 46, now charged with aggravated murder in a Hamilton case, is shown on a poster prepared by Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones and featured at a press conference March 29, 2024. Garcia-Gutierrez has been arrested several times, deported and arrested again, Jones said. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

A multi-million dollar bond has been set by a Butler County Common Pleas judge for an immigrant accused of murder who Sheriff Richard Jones says has been deported seven times.

Fermin Garcia-Gutierrez was indicted by a grand jury on charges of aggravated murder, murder (two counts), felonious assault (two counts) and kidnapping, with firearm specifications, for the death of man found in a Hamilton garage in April.

The charges pertain to one murder, but the multiple indictments are from different subsections of the law, not for allegedly committing multiple homicides.

Garcia-Gutierrez, 46, was arrested in the slaying of Fernando Reyna Oviedo that occurred between March 13 and March 15, according to the indictment. Days before the announcement of his arrest by Hamilton Police, Garcia-Gutierrez was highlighted by Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, who said Garcia-Gutierrez entered the country illegally multiple times and was deported to Mexico but returned.

Judge Jennifer McElfresh set bond for Garcia-Gutierrez at $5 million cash or surety at his arraignment on July 11. He is scheduled to be back in court for a pretrial hearing on Aug. 15.

Oviedo, 41, had been found dead on April 1 after Hamilton police officers were called about a body in the 1100 block of South 13th Street.

Investigators believe before Garcia-Gutierrez was arrested other charges, he committed the homicide.

Fermin Garcia-Gutierrez, 46, is an illegal immigrant and is charged with aggravated murder, in connection with the death of a person found in the 1100 block of South 13th Street in Hamilton. PROVIDED

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Jones said Garcia-Gutierrez is an example of the sheriff’s frustrations with the Biden Administration’s immigration enforcement and border policies.

Jones said Garcia-Gutierrez had been to prison three times and deported seven times to Mexico, but keeps returning.

“Says it takes him two weeks to get back,” the sheriff said then.

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