Costa Rican authorities have arrested a 22-year-old woman suspected of killing an American businessman inside his condominium in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, bringing an end to a nearly two-week search for the main suspect in a homicide that has attracted international attention.
Agents from the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) arrested the woman with the last name of Ortiz, yesterday, during an operation in San Felipe de Alajuelita, south of San José. Ortiz had been wanted since October 16, when investigators raided her home in La Capri de Desamparados but were unable to find her. Authorities subsequently released her photograph and asked the public for help finding her.
The arrest comes exactly one month after the killing of Marc Walter Fleming, an American businessman from California who was found dead inside his condominium in Playas del Coco on September 27. According to investigators, Fleming had met Ortiz through an online contact or personal referral before picking her up in his vehicle and taking her to his apartment in the popular Guanacaste beach community.
Security cameras recorded the two entering the condominium complex together. Approximately two hours later, Ortiz was seen leaving the apartment alone and Fleming was subsequently found dead with multiple injuries to his head. Investigators believe an argument or confrontation occurred inside the apartment and that Ortiz allegedly struck Fleming repeatedly with the glass container of a blender, causing the injuries that killed him.
OIJ Deputy Director Vladimir Muñoz said investigators are still working to establish exactly what happened inside the apartment and what led to the fatal confrontation. The investigation has also uncovered evidence suggesting that property was stolen from Fleming’s residence. Authorities are searching for three Rolex watches believed to have been taken from the apartment. Investigators estimate that the watches could be worth more than $25,000 each.
Several of Fleming’s bank cards were also allegedly stolen and used to make purchases at businesses in Guanacaste after his death. Police have reviewed surveillance footage from stores, ATMs and other locations, including businesses in Playas del Coco, Playa Flamingo and Abangares. Those recordings helped investigators reconstruct the movements of the suspects after the killing.
A second woman, identified as Roxana Zeledón Abarca, was arrested on October 16 in San Miguel de Desamparados. Authorities suspect Zeledón helped Ortiz leave Guanacaste after the homicide, picking her up in a vehicle and transporting her toward San José. Investigators are also examining whether the two women used Fleming’s bank cards to purchase goods and pay for accommodations while traveling.
A criminal court in Liberia ordered Zeledón held in preventive detention for three months while the investigation continues. The search for Ortiz intensified after investigators identified her home in Desamparados but failed to locate her during the October 16 operation. Authorities believed she was moving between locations in the San José area to avoid capture. Police also considered whether she had changed her appearance to make herself harder to recognize.
According to the OIJ, information provided by the public and intelligence gathered during the investigation helped officers locate her in San Felipe de Alajuelita. Agents from the OIJ’s Homicide Section and its Liberia regional office participated in Tuesday’s operation, which ended with Ortiz being taken into custody.
Fleming had purchased the condominium in Playas del Coco earlier this year. The development, in one of Guanacaste’s popular coastal communities, includes properties owned by foreign residents. The American had previously worked as a senior executive in the metals industry in California and had made investments in Costa Rica.
His death drew attention after security footage showing the suspected attacker circulated through Costa Rican news outlets and social media. With Ortiz now in custody, investigators can continue examining the evidence collected from the apartment, financial transactions and security recordings to determine the circumstances of Fleming’s death and the possible involvement of both women.
Ortiz is expected to be brought before prosecutors, who will determine the next steps in the criminal proceedings and whether to request preventive detention while the investigation continues. Authorities have not announced a final motive for the killing, and the investigation remains open.
Neither Ortiz nor Zeledón has been convicted of a crime in connection with Fleming’s death. Both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
