Carol Flaz-Burgos, 37, was found in the Kenoza Lake conservation area after several days of searching, Haverhill Police Chief Robert Pistone told reporters during a press conference held at the Lawrence Police Department.
A Lawrence woman missing since Saturday was found dead at Winnekenni Park in Haverhill,and her neighbor was arrested, law enforcement officials said Tuesday night.
Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker said a Massachusetts State Police K-9 unit located Flaz-Burgos’ body.
“Unfortunately, we have a sad ending to report,” Tucker said at the 8:30 p.m. press conference that was livestreamed by Boston 25.
Tucker said “this case was at the forefront” of investigators in recent days. The discovery of Flaz-Burgos’ body was “not the result we expected.”
He hopes the discovery can bring “some comfort and some resolution,” to her family and the community.
Advertisement
Flaz-Burgos was reported missing on Saturday after she was last seen leaving her home at 9 a.m. in the area of 590 Broadway, he said.
Police arrested Cristian Montero, 35, in Lawrence, in connection to the death and he will be arraigned Wednesday morning in Lawrence District Court on “a charge of witness intimidation with a charge of misleading the investigation,” Tucker said.
“We expect over the next couple of days, when the medical examiner completes their autopsy, that those charges will be upgraded to murder,” Tucker said.
Although Montero lived in the same apartment building on Broadway, authorities did not say if they knew each other.
The incident is not a random act and there is no danger in the area or to community members, Pistone said.
“On behalf of the entire Lawrence Police Department, we want to offer our condolences to the entire family,” Lawrence Acting Police Chief Millix Bonilla said.
Bonilla said he spoke to Flaz-Burgo’s family members prior to the conference and “we are so sad for this loss.”
“Cases like this really do tear at the fabric of a community,” Tucker told reporters. “It makes it a double tragedy not only just for the family but the community of Lawrence as well.”
Kiera McDonald can be reached at kiera.mcdonald@globe.com.
