Montenegro

SoCal Woman Who Dismembered Boyfriend, Buried Body Parts in Potted Plants Gets 26 Years to Life

The crime scene had been significantly cleaned, with the carpet and tile removed to hide the evidence, prosecutors said

A Southern California woman found guilty of stabbing her longtime boyfriend to death, dismembering his body and burying some of the remains in potted plants was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison, prosecutors said.

Carmen Montenegro, a 54-year-old mother from Riverside, was convicted of first-degree murder last month in the 2011 killing of 62-year-old Samuel Wiggins. She was sentenced Monday, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office said.

In May 2011, detectives who were investigating Wiggins’s disappearance turned their attention to Montenegro, who had been living in his home and using his accounts, prosecutors said.

Montenegro was arrested after detectives caught her pushing a trash can down the street with his remains inside.

Prosecutors said Montenegro had dismembered Wiggins’ body and buried his head and arms in potted plants that were found in Bell Gardens. The legs and torso were discovered buried at a home in Ontario.

Investigators determined that Wiggins was stabbed twice in the chest and 22 times in the back in his Diamond Bar home. Prosecutors said the crime scene had been significantly cleaned, with the carpet and tile removed to hide the evidence.

“We are pleased that the jury saw the case for what it was — a heinous crime — and that justice was served for the victim and his family,” said Deputy District Attorney Erica Gallegos in a news release.

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