A Louisiana man was arrested Monday on suspicion of second-degree murder after authorities said he had been driving around for a month with a womans body in the car.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Office said they discovered the body of Sheila Ortega, 72, on Monday in her own SUV after family members reported her missing. Relatives told sheriffs deputies that they had not spoken to Ortega, who lived in Lake Charles, for about a month.

Detectives found Ortegas SUV in a mall parking lot as part of their missing persons investigation and discovered her body inside. They then identified Christopher T. Cater, 41, as a person of interest in their investigation and found him at a nearby business.