Authorities in Calcasieu Parish say the body of a Lake Charles woman discovered inside an SUV at the Prien Lake Mall had been there for about a month. Sheriff’s officials said Christopher T. Cater, 41, admitted to killing 72-year-old Sheila Ortega and later using her personal information to open several loans.
Ortega’s body was found in the passenger seat of her own vehicle on Monday. Kayla Vincent, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, said Cater was found at a nearby business shortly after deputies located the vehicle. When questioned, Cater told investigators he killed Ortega about a month earlier, according to NBC/CW affiliate KPLC.
Cater has been booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center on charges of second-degree murder, unlawful disposal of human remains, and identity theft. His bond has not yet been set. Sheriff Tony Mancuso called the case “unusual and deeply disturbing.”
He added, “We have never seen someone drive around with a dead body in the SUV for 30 days. My prayers go out to the family and friends of Mrs. Sheila. This is a senseless and inhumane tragedy.” Family members said they had not spoken with Ortega for about a month and requested a welfare check on August 15. Deputies found no signs of foul play at her home at that time.
Mancuso said the family noted it was not unusual for Ortega to leave for extended periods. On August 20, the day Ortega was officially reported missing, a deputy stopped Cater while he was driving her SUV. Cater claimed Ortega had gone to Arkansas to visit friends and that he would be picking her up in a few days. The deputy, who did not detect anything unusual during the stop, released him, according to a courtroom report by KPLC.
The following day, Ortega’s vehicle was spotted in the mall parking lot. Deputies investigating the SUV discovered Ortega’s body inside. Cater, found nearby, allegedly told officers, “I know why you’re here.” Cater reportedly admitted Ortega had taken him in and that he “took advantage of her.”
He told investigators he was unsure what to do with her body after the killing. An internal investigation is now underway to review why the deputy who stopped Cater on August 20 did not uncover the crime. Mancuso stressed that while he does not believe malice was involved, the handling of the stop raises concerns.
“One of the fatal mistakes that we, as police officers, make is treating things like they’re routine,” Mancuso said. “This is what can happen as a consequence. We will determine what went wrong and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”