A Louisiana man was arrested on Monday after police allegedly found him driving a missing woman’s car with her body inside.
On Sunday, Calcasieu Parish police responded to a missing person report involving Sheila Ortega, 72. The following day, cops discovered her body in her SUV which was parked outside a mall, according to KFDM.
Officers located Christopher Cater, 41, at a business not far from Ortega’s SUV. He allegedly confessed to killing Ortega a month earlier before using her information to procure loans.
Ortega’s family members told KPLC that they first requested a welfare check on August 15 after having not heard from her for about a month. However, Calcasieu police spokesperson Kayla Vincent said she was reported missing on August 20.
“We went to the house. No car in the driveway, no signs of foul play,” Sheriff Tony Mancuso said.
According to him, the family said it was not rare to not hear from Ortega for extended periods of time. At the time, they declined to file a missing person report.
Mancuso told KPLC that they located Cater and Ortega’s vehicle during a traffic stop on August 20 — the same day she was reported missing. Cater was let go after he allegedly explained to a deputy that he dropped off Ortega in Arkansas and he was going to pick her up in a few days.
The following day, another deputy spotted Ortega’s car in the mall parking lot and discovered her body. Cater allegedly admitted to using Ortega and killing her after she took him in. He also confessed to driving around with her body because he was unsure what to do with it, according to KPLC.
“Officers do have discretion. I wish he would have handled it differently, absolutely,” Mancuso said. “Is it a training issue? Is it a lazy issue? Why did we let this happen? We could have given this family closure 12-14 hours earlier.”
Cater is charged with second-degree murder, unlawful disposal of human remains, and identity theft. Not only is Ortega’s cause of death under investigation, but Mancuso said the police department is looking into why her body was not found during the initial traffic stop.
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[Featured image: Christopher Cater/Calcasieu Correctional Center]
