A 74-year-old American man was allegedly killed inside his sixth-floor condominium in Costa Rica after meeting a woman online, with investigators accusing her of beating him with a glass blender jar before leaving with his bank cards.
The death of a man identified as Fleming has resulted in the arrest of a woman known as Ortiz, whose whereabouts remained unknown for weeks after the September 27 killing in Playas del Coco.
Surveillance recordings reportedly captured the suspect’s behavior near an elevator and later documented her movements through the coastal community, where investigators believe she met another woman and used the victim’s stolen cards.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency confirmed Ortiz’s arrest Tuesday after confidential information helped police locate her at a residence in San Felipe de Alajuelita.
In a recorded announcement, agency Deputy Director Vladimir Muñoz placed her apprehension at approximately 12:30 p.m.
Police had previously searched Ortiz’s home in La Capri de Desamparados, south of San José, without finding her. Confidential information later directed investigators to the residence where she was arrested.
Investigators had already detained a second woman, identified as Zeledón, who allegedly assisted Ortiz in traveling toward the capital after Fleming’s death.
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A glass blender container is believed to have caused the fatal injuries to Fleming’s head during an alleged argument with Ortiz inside his condominium near the beach.
The American was subsequently discovered dead in his sixth-floor apartment, where investigators identified multiple injuries consistent with the suspected attack.
The two had first connected over the internet, investigators believe, before Fleming drove to collect Ortiz near Playas del Coco and brought her back to his residence.
Officials placed the alleged homicide at approximately 4:50 p.m. September 27, although they have not publicly detailed what triggered the disagreement.
Police suspect Ortiz stayed in the condominium for roughly two hours and took Fleming’s payment cards before leaving.
Shortly after 5 p.m., a surveillance camera near an elevator allegedly recorded Ortiz consulting her cellphone and pacing around the area while breathing heavily, according to footage obtained by local news outlet TuBarco.
The 5 p.m. surveillance timestamp and the police estimate of a two-hour stay have not been reconciled in the reported accounts.
Investigators believe Fleming’s cards were subsequently presented at an ATM and multiple commercial establishments.
The footage also contributed to suspicions that Zeledón assisted Ortiz after she left the condominium. Cameras reportedly captured the women together near a food establishment before they departed in a vehicle.
Police also released street footage depicting Ortiz alongside another woman. Her clothing included blue denim shorts, sandals and a white bra with chain-like detailing.
Authorities suspect Zeledón facilitated the journey toward San José and may have coordinated paid companionship arrangements involving other people.
Her arrest took place during a predawn operation at a condominium in San Miguel de Desamparados, several weeks after Fleming was killed.
In Tennessee, an escaped murderer is still being hunted after authorities recovered a pickup truck he allegedly stole following his disappearance from prison.
Jacob Morley had been incarcerated at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville for the killing of Cody Birchfield when he vanished late Sunday.
The Tennessee Department of Correction has not established how Morley got through the institution’s outer fence.
Security cameras recorded him moving beyond the secured boundary while dressed in his prison-issued clothing, but the specific means of crossing the barrier remains unknown.
Employees became aware of his disappearance around 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
Unnamed sources speaking with NewsNation alleged that a guard failed to verify Morley’s presence during a 10:30 p.m. prisoner count.
Those sources also suggested he may have had a seven-hour head start before the escape was reported, although the department’s official timeline has not established that estimate.
A camera at the Hornbeak Fire Department captured a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee registration passing the building around 1:18 a.m., approximately 15 miles from the correctional facility.
Authorities believe Morley had stolen the pickup around 1 a.m. October 26, shortly before the vehicle appeared in the recording.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation subsequently located the pickup without an occupant in Marion, Illinois, early Tuesday.
Morley’s imprisonment followed the murder of Birchfield, who disappeared in February 2022 after accepting a ride from Morley following work.
Investigators recovered a .40-caliber Hornady casing from Birchfield’s residence. Ammunition later discovered alongside his remains matched that spent casing.
Birchfield’s body had been concealed in a metal container beneath Morley’s house.
An interstate effort eventually resulted in Morley’s arrest in North Carolina, followed by a 2022 murder conviction and a life sentence that included the possibility of parole in 2025.
With Morley now missing from custody, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has included him on its Most Wanted list and authorized a reward of up to $2,500 for information resulting in an arrest.
The public has been instructed to contact 911 if Morley is spotted and avoid confronting him.
Earlier in October, another man in Tennessee correctional custody escaped from a hospital but was located within hours.
Gregory Redden, 63, was back in police custody on October 21 after escaping from Nashville General Hospital around 2 p.m. by reportedly removing his handcuffs and leg restraints.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department located him near Dr. D.B. Todd Boulevard and Jefferson Street following a search assisted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Redden had been imprisoned for an aggravated robbery conviction dating to 2010.
While Redden was returned to custody on the day of his escape, Morley remained at large after becoming the second Tennessee correctional inmate to escape during October.
