A man arrested in connection with the death of a Lawrence, Massachusetts, mother found dead Tuesday after a dayslong search faced a judge Wednesday, where prosecutors shared how he allegedly misled investigators looking for the woman.
Cristian Montero, 35, was arraigned on a witness intimidation charge, though Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker has said he'll likely face a murder charge once a medical examiner completes the autopsy on Carol Flaz-Burgos.
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The 37-year-old was last seen on surveillance camera entering Montero's apartment in the building where she lived with her children and mother, prosecutors said in court. She made "the sign of the cross when she entered," an assistant DA said, but was never seen exiting.
However, data from her cellphone showed it began moving away from the apartment building on Broadway at the same time Montero was seen leaving it "with a wagon, a beach cart, that appeared to be filled with clothes," prosecutors said. Her phone started moving toward Haverhill, where her body would later be found Tuesday.
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It's not immediately clear what relationship they had, if any.
But Montero misled investigators about where he was in the time frame of Flaz-Burgos' disappearance, according to prosecutors. In two different interviews, he said he drove to a barbershop, parking on Trenton Street, but never went in because he was feeling sick. But city cameras showed he didn't park on Trenton Street at the time, and data from his cellphone allegedly shows him in Haverhill when he said he was parked in Lawrence.
"This false information that he provided to the investigators did mislead the investigators in regards to Ms. Burgos' whereabouts," the prosecutor said.
A not guilty plea was entered on Montero's behalf, and a court-appointed attorney asked the judge for time to investigate the claims made by the prosecution.
The judge ordered he be held pending a hearing in a week, and impounded investigators' documents at the prosecution's request, to prevent anything impeding their ongoing investigation, which they anticipated bringing to a grand jury.
Investigators said it was a "round the clock" search to try to find Flaz-Burgos,a mother of two.
A Massachusetts State Police K-9 unit found her body in the Kenoza Lake Conservation area Tuesday evening, near Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill.
"At this time, we have a suspect in custody on a charge of witness intimidation and misleading an investigation," Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said at a news conference Tuesday night. "When the medical examiner’s office completes their autopsy, which may occur in the next 24 to 48 hours, we expect that charge will be upgraded to murder."
"This is not the outcome that we were looking for, so we are sad for this loss," acting Police Chief Melix Bonilla said.
"It is a tough day for the City of Lawrence," Mayor Brian De Peña added. "It is not easy for the family or the community, but we thank everyone for working together."
