Dismembered corpse IDed as murder suspect’s ex-boyfriend

ONTARIO – San Bernardino County coroner officials identified human remains as belonging to the ex-boyfriend of the woman who was found pushing them down the street in a trash can Sunday.

Carmen Montenegro - Murder suspect Mugshot - Ontario PD

Ontario police have not yet determined the motive for killing Samuel Wiggins Jr., 63, who is thought to be Carmen Montelongo’s former boyfriend. Montelongo was charged with the man’s killing and dismemberment on Tuesday. Her children David Ortiz, 25, and Chanel Alicia Ortiz, 26, both from Riverside, are facing charges of accessory to murder, police said in a news release.

Police officials say that Wiggins, who was from the Los Angeles County community of Diamond Bar, was likely killed and dismembered at his home in the 23700 block of Meadow Fall Drive. Body parts were found in multiple locations.

L.A. County sheriff’s investigators searched Wiggins’ home for evidence. Investigators believe that some of the victim’s body parts were buried at a home in the 700 block of North Holmes Avenue in Ontario before being dug up and placed in the trash can that Montelongo was pushing down the street on Sunday.

Police also located additional body parts in two large flower pots at a home in the 6000 block of Foster Bridge Road in Bell Gardens. Investigators believe those pots were delivered there by Montelongo and Daniel Ortiz.

Police declined to comment on evidence that allegedly links Chanel Ortiz to the grisly murder.

Police arrested the Ortiz siblings during a traffic stop at Jersey Boulevard and Milliken Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday night.

Montelongo, meanwhile, was previously identified as Carmen Montenegro, which is an alias, said police. Ontario police Det. Jeff Crittenden confirmed that Montelongo is her true last name. He said she has used two different birthdates, including one in October 1959 and another in March 1967.

Crittenden said police are not certain about Montelongo’s true date of birth.

Police were alerted to the crime by a family member who refused to help dig holes to bury body parts. Once the family member refused to help, Montelongo reportedly followed him down the street still requesting his assistance. That’s when police discovered her pushing the trash can containing dismembered body parts.

Police said that a witness believes Montelongo may have buried the corpse about a month ago after digging several large holes in the backyard of the Holmes Avenue residence, purportedly for a gardening project.

Montelongo is being held on $1 million bail at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Her son and daughter are being held there on $250,000 bail.