DNA from discarded cigar leads to 2 arrests for human remains stolen from Florida cemetery for ‘shrine’

The disturbing thefts from four gravesites took place Dec. 6 at Edgewood Cemetery in Mount Dora.

When investigators initially processed the crime scene, they collected items including multiple cigars and sent them to a lab for DNA testing, the sheriff’s office said.

DNA samples from the cigars were submitted to a database for comparison, and one matched 43-year-old Brian Montalvo Tolentino, a resident of Davenport, the department said.

On Wednesday, detectives with the neighboring Polk County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for mouth swabs from Montalvo Tolentino for a direct DNA comparison, officials said.

When Lake County detectives later interviewed Montalvo Tolentino, he allegedly confessed to going to the cemetery and committing the crimes with Juan Burgos Lopez, 39, a resident of Lake Wales.

Montalvo Tolentino allegedly said Burgos Lopez used a crowbar to open the vaults and remove the items that were used for “religious practices,” Lake County sheriff’s officials said.

Detectives subsequently searched Burgos Lopez’s residence and recovered the stolen remains within “what appeared to be some sort of religious shrine,” the officials said.

Both men were arrested on the Lake County warrants by Polk sheriff’s deputies and transported to the Polk County Jail where they were booked with bonds set at $40,000 each.

They were charged with four counts of disturbing the contents of a grave and four counts of abuse of a dead human body.

Montalvo Tolentino was released from custody Thursday, while Burgos Lopez was released Friday, online jail records confirmed.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office may be adding more criminal charges, officials said.

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