Man confesses murder to friend, arrested soon after

Raymond Ortiz, 40, arrested on a murder warrant for the beating death of Jesse James Perez, 29. Raymond Ortiz, 40, arrested on a murder warrant for the beating death of Jesse James Perez, 29. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Man confesses murder to friend, arrested soon after 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

When the Spurs were playing Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, Raymond C. Ortiz was having a drink and watching with a friend — and he confessed to killing a man with a pair of vise grips days earlier, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Ortiz, 40, remained in the Bexar County Jail on Saturday, with bail set at $100,000 on a murder charge in the death of Jesse James Perez, 29. His body was found Wednesday when someone walking in a wooded area in the 200 block of Tyson Street detected a strong odor and eventually saw his body, clad in just boxers and with a blanket over the face.

Ortiz told his friend he had gotten into an argument with Perez on Monday and ended up hitting him in the head repeatedly with the vise grips, according to the affidavit, though it's unclear what the fight was about.

A police report indicated that Perez had a cut on his right arm and ligature marks around his neck. A black bag found nearby was filled with his clothing.

Perez's body was found just two-tenths of a mile from Ortiz's home on Luz Avenue, on the West Side.

When police searched the home Friday, they found blood on the legs of a table, hair on the floor and bloody towels in a trash bin outside, according to the affidavit. Ortiz also told his friend he was “planning to get some bleach and clean the inside of the residence in the near future,” the report says.

The friend told police Perez had been living with Ortiz for a short time, though their relationship was not specified in the report.

mcasady@express-news.net