A 22-year-old Elmhurst man is being held without bond after prosecutors say a missing 21-year-old woman was found dead in a Lake County woodlot, her body hidden off a rural roadway. The suspect, identified as Santino Ortiz, faces multiple felony counts in the killing of Claudia Mojarrieta-Matos.
According to a timeline from authorities, Elmhurst police were called around 4:35 a.m. on Dec. 6 after a man reported Mojarrieta-Matos missing. He told officers he had dropped her off in the 600 block of West Lorraine Avenue at about 1 a.m., then received a call roughly 15 minutes later in which he heard a struggle and the woman crying out before the call abruptly ended. Investigators later identified Ortiz as a suspect. Officials say he went to the Elmhurst Police Department that afternoon, where he was taken into custody, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago.
Prosecutors allege Ortiz lured Mojarrieta-Matos into his garage, slammed her head against the floor and stabbed her repeatedly. They say he then wrapped her head in a garbage bag, placed her body in a trash can, loaded it into his pickup truck and dumped the can in a rural area of Wadsworth around 8 a.m., about 40 feet off the roadway in brush and trees. The Lake County coroner identified the remains as those of Mojarrieta-Matos, and an autopsy found she had been stabbed about seven times in the face and head, according to CBS Chicago.
What Prosecutors Say Happened
DuPage County prosecutors say Ortiz not only killed Mojarrieta-Matos but also robbed her and tried to cover up the crime. He is charged with six counts of first-degree murder, along with armed robbery and concealment of a homicidal death. DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin expressed condolences to the victim's loved ones and promised an aggressive prosecution. “Claudia’s young life was taken in a senseless, brutal act of violence,” Berlin said in a statement, according to his office and coverage by FOX 32 Chicago.
Court Hearing And What Comes Next
Ortiz appeared in DuPage County court, where Judge Joshua Dieden granted the State’s motion to detain him pending trial. He is being held without bond. Prosecutors laid out the counts against him and said the next hearing is scheduled for January 5, 2026, before Judge Margaret O’Connell. The reporting notes that at this stage, the filing is only a complaint and not proof of guilt, and that Ortiz is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court, as reported by the Daily Herald/Shaw Local.
What A Conviction Could Mean
Illinois law sets a standard sentencing range of roughly 20 to 60 years in prison for a first-degree murder conviction. Extended terms of up to 100 years or natural life are possible when certain aggravating factors are present. These ranges are outlined in the Illinois Criminal Code and related statutes, which are compiled on legal reference sites such as Justia.
Elmhurst On Edge
Elmhurst Police Chief Michael McLean offered the department’s “deepest condolences” to Mojarrieta-Matos’ family and praised detectives, evidence technicians and partner agencies for their work on the case. Neighbors told reporters they were rattled by the level of violence described in court, while officials say the investigation is still active as detectives follow up on leads and continue processing evidence, according to local coverage by Lake McHenry Scanner.
Authorities emphasize that the complaint outlines allegations, not proven facts, and that Ortiz is presumed innocent until proven guilty through the legal process. Investigators are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact the Elmhurst Police Department.
