Costa Rica Arrests Woman in 74-Year-Old American's Killing After 1-Month Manhunt

Q: What do surveillance footage and witness tips reveal about the final hours before American retiree Marc Fleming was killed in Playas del Coco?

Surveillance footage and witness tips indicate that Marc Fleming spent his final known hours with a young woman he had met online, and that she left the area without him shortly before or after he was fatally injured. Costa Rican investigators say Fleming, 74, picked up the suspect, Ortiz, near Playas del Coco on Sept. 27 and drove her to his condominium. Security video placed a woman matching Ortiz’s description in the area around the time of the killing, wearing blue denim shorts, sandals and a white bra or bikini-style top with chain-like accessories. Some reports say cameras captured Fleming entering the building with the woman at about 4:50 p.m., and later showed her leaving alone. The footage also showed Ortiz walking with another woman, later identified by authorities as Zeledón, who investigators believe helped her flee after the killing. Police said that second woman was later arrested as a suspected accomplice. Confidential tips from the public were central to the case. Authorities said those tips helped them identify and locate Ortiz in San Felipe de Alajuelita, where she was arrested, and also helped tie the surveillance images to the two women. Investigators’ working theory is that Fleming and Ortiz argued inside the apartment and that she struck him in the head, causing fatal injuries. Authorities also allege she took bank cards and possibly other valuables after his death, though those theft claims and any later card use were still being investigated.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 28

Ortiz was arrested around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at a house in San Felipe de Alajuelita in the killing of Fleming, a 74-year-old American found dead Sept. 27 in Playas del Coco.
Costa Rican investigators said Fleming met Ortiz online, picked her up near the beach town and drove her to his condominium, where a dispute allegedly ended with Ortiz striking him and causing a fatal head injury.
Authorities also accuse Ortiz of stealing Fleming's bank cards, though investigators said it remains unclear whether the cards were used.
Surveillance video had shown Ortiz walking down a street with another woman after the incident; that second woman has also been arrested.
Confidential tips led police to Ortiz after she had been on the run for about a month in the tourist area on Costa Rica's northern Pacific coast.