Guilty pleas entered in killing of New Westminster woman

Guilty pleas were entered in New Westminster court Tuesday morning in connection with the death of a local woman whose burned body was found in a Burnaby park last year.

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Guilty pleas were entered in New Westminster court Tuesday morning in connection with the death of a local woman whose burned body was found in a Burnaby park last year.

Carlo Tobias pleaded guilty to manslaughter and accessory after the fact. The 22-year-old was originally charged with first-degree murder and indignity to human remains, along with a 15-year-old who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Tobias was also charged with sexual interference of a minor.

Investigators believed the victim, 49-year-old Ma Cecillia Loreto, was killed in her New Westminster home on March 17, 2021. Her burned body was found the next day at Greentree Village Park in Burnaby. At the time the charges were laid, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said the two accused and the victim knew each other, but would not elaborate on the details of that connection.

Loreto had recently moved to Canada from the Philippines, and worked at an East Vancouver grocery store before her death. Friends described her as caring and full of life. She was also a vocalist in a cover band, and volunteered and performed at local events.

The court heard victim impact statements from Loreto’s loved ones, including her brother, who said his sister was hardworking and patient, and a great mother.