A Florida man has been arrested following the brutal killing and dismemberment of his girlfriend, whose remains were found in a suitcase. The incident unfolded after Jorge Javier Quintero, 41, allegedly strangled his girlfriend, Carmen Elsa Escalante Carrera, 29, and then dismembered her body before discarding her remains in a suitcase. Quintero is charged with first-degree murder and fraudulent use of personal information.
The investigation began on October 29 when a concerned friend called authorities after receiving a series of strange text messages from Quintero, which suggested that he might be attempting to take his own life. The messages were sent early in the morning, and the friend went to Quintero’s residence to check on him. Upon arrival, the friend found the bathroom covered in blood, with a knife near the bathtub. Quintero was not there, leading to further concern for his well-being.
Deputies began their search at Quintero’s home on Maribou Circle in Orlando, where they discovered a large amount of blood in the bathroom, bloody clothes, a kitchen knife, and handwritten notes that appeared to be suicide messages. The investigators also found Quintero’s cell phone, which was still on and receiving messages. They followed these leads to another property, a new apartment where Quintero and Escalante had recently begun moving in together.
At the second residence, deputies found more blood, bloody towels, and women’s clothing, including Escalante’s wallet and keys, indicating her presence. However, there was no sign of Quintero. Surveillance footage from Ring cameras showed a man, presumably Quintero, leaving the apartment earlier that morning in a white truck.
Authorities continued to track Quintero’s movements, eventually learning that he had rented a white Dodge Ram pickup truck on October 27, which was due to be returned the following day. However, the vehicle had not been returned as scheduled, and rental company staff noted that it had been taken beyond the agreed-upon period. Further investigation revealed that Quintero had traveled to Georgia, and license plate reader (LPR) cameras captured images of the truck on highways in both Georgia and Alabama. In these photographs, a large trash bag was visible in the truck bed, and its shape suggested that it might contain human remains.
U.S. Marshals located Quintero on October 31 in Saraland, Alabama, where a shootout ensued. Quintero was injured during the exchange and was taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition. While he was being arrested, law enforcement learned that the white truck had been seen with a suitcase in the bed while traveling a stretch of highway in Georgia. However, the suitcase was no longer in the truck at the time of Quintero’s capture.
A few hours after Quintero’s arrest, authorities in Georgia discovered a suitcase containing a black bag and human remains near the Alabama state line. The remains were later identified as Escalante’s, and a forensic examination revealed the extent of the brutal dismemberment. Escalante had been strangled with a power cord, and her limbs had been severed. Her right arm had been completely removed and placed in a separate bag, while her left arm and leg showed signs of having been partially cut off.
A detective present during the autopsy noted that the suitcase found in Georgia appeared identical to one seen in traffic camera images of Quintero’s rental truck. The suitcase even had a tag affixed to it from Spirit Airlines, dated March 2024, with Escalante’s name. This connection provided further evidence of Quintero’s involvement in the crime and solidified the case against him.
As the investigation continues, Quintero remains in custody, facing charges of murder and fraudulent use of personal information. The discovery of Escalante’s dismembered body in the suitcase has shocked the community, and authorities are piecing together the events that led to this horrifying crime.
