LAWRENCE — A Lawrence man has been charged with the murder of his neighbor, Carol Flaz-Burgos, a 37-year-old mother of two, whose body was discovered in a wooded area in Haverhill last week.
The Essex County District Attorney’s Office alleges that Cristian Montero, 35, killed Flaz-Burgos in the apartment building they both lived in, which is located at 590 Broadway in Lawrence.
Montero was arraigned on Wednesday, September 11, in Lawrence District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and was ordered held without bail. Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker stated in a September 4 press release that Montero was initially charged with witness intimidation and misleading an investigation after his arrest on September 3, the same day Flaz-Burgos’s body was found. The charges were later upgraded to murder pending the outcome of her autopsy by the medical examiner’s office.
According to CBS News, investigators say that surveillance footage shows Flaz-Burgos texting and making the sign of the cross before entering Montero’s apartment on August 31. The footage later captured Montero exiting his apartment with a cart that appeared to be filled with clothing. Around the same time, Flaz-Burgos’ phone was tracked moving in the direction of Haverhill, where her body was eventually discovered.
According to NECN and Boston 25 News, authorities say Flaz-Burgos was never seen leaving Montero’s apartment on the surveillance footage.
The Haverhill Gazette reported that over Labor Day weekend, Montero posted on Facebook about the police search for Flaz-Burgos and attended a gathering of her family, friends, and supporters outside their apartment building on September 2.
Flaz-Burgos was a licensed home health care aide at Best Home Health Care in Lawrence.
Montero is scheduled to appear in Lawrence District Court again on October 16 for a probable cause hearing.
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