Victim identified in Ontario dismemberment killing; suspect's children arrested as accessories

Pictured: Carmen Montelongo, Chanel Ortiz and Daniel Ortiz

Ontario police late Wednesday said they recovered additional body parts belonging to the man whose remains were discovered Sunday being wheeled in a trash can by his reputed ex-girlfriend.

Officers on Wednesday also arrested two children of the man's accused killer - Carmen Montelongo - on suspicion of acting as accessories to the killing.

The victim in the case was identified by police as Samuel Wiggins Jr., 63, of Diamond Bar, who was reported missing by his family May 1.

Police on Tuesday discovered what they described as a crime scene at Wiggins' home in the 23700 block of Meadow Fall Drive, according to a news release issued late Wednesday.

Detectives discovered additional body parts of Wiggins' on Wednesday at a home in Bell Gardens in the 6000 block of Foster Bridge Road. The body parts were buried in two large flower pots, according to the news release.

The body parts were delivered to the home by Montelongo and her son, police said.

"Later in the day, the San Bernardino County Coroner confirmed that the human remains found in the trash can with Montenegro, as well as those buried in the flower pots at the Bell Gardens residence were that of missing person Samuel Wiggins Jr. of Diamond Bar," the news release said. "The entire body has been recovered."

Montelongo's son and daughter were arrested at 7 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of acting as accessories to Wiggins' killing, according to the news release.

Detectives uncovered evidence during their investigation that implicated Daniel Ortiz, 25, and Chanel Alicia Ortiz, 26, as accessories in the killing. The siblings are from Riverside, police said.

They were arrested without incident during a traffic stop by Ontario police officers at Jersey Boulevard and Milliken Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga, the news release said.

They are being held in lieu of $250,000 bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, police said.

Carmen Montelongo, of Riverside, was arrested Sunday after she allegedly exhumed body parts in the backyard of a relative's home in the 700 block of North Holmes Avenue in Ontario.

She exhumed the dismembered corpse with help from a possible day laborer, according to a cousin, and later loaded the remains into a trash can.

After the laborer left, Montelongo sought help from the cousin, Matthew Bell, who refused to help and called 9-1-1 as he left the home on foot.

Montelongo followed Bell, still asking for help, and wheeled the trash can behind her. She was arrested by Ontario police about 200 yards from the Holmes Avenue home.

Bell said he believes Montelongo may have buried the corpse about a month ago, when she dug several large holes in the backyard during what she said was a gardening project.

Montelongo was identified in earlier reports as Carmen Montenegro, which police now say is an alias. Montelongo is her true last name, said Ontario police Detective Jeff Crittenden.

Montelongo also uses two different dates of birth, one in October 1959 and another in March 1967, police said. Crittenden said he doesn't know which is Montelongo's true date of birth.

Montelongo is set to appear this morning in West Valley Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga for a hearing in which she may ask for reduced bail, which is currently set at $1 million. She remained jailed Wednesday at West Valley Detention Center.

One of Montelongo's neighbors, who asked to remain unnamed, said Montelongo has lived in a home in the 6200 block of Indian Camp Road in Riverside for about three years with her son and daughter.

She said Montelongo was soft-spoken and polite.

"I would never, ever expect this from Carmen -- never," the woman said. "Because she seems like she cared and would never hurt anyone."