Suspect in killing in casino arrested

Kim Smith

Friday, Sept. 22, 2000 | 10:44 a.m.

A man mistakenly released from the Clark County Detention Center last week and charged in the killing of a California tourist has been recaptured in New Jersey.

Chief Deputy District Attorney William Koot said Michael Adam Frimmel, 31, was arrested in Ventnor City, N.J., on a bench warrant issued by Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis.

According to a Ventnor City Police Department news release, police went to Frimmel's mother's home Thursday after learning about the warrant for his arrest.

Although officers weren't able to find him the first time, they received a call a short time later from the resident of an adjoining townhouse saying that a hand had punched through the ceiling of his home from the attic.

Detective Sgt. James Johnson was able to negotiate Frimmel's surrender and he was booked into the Atlantic County Justice Facility, the news release states.

Frimmel was also wanted in New Jersey for violation of parole and bail jumping.

Frimmel was released from the Clark County Detention Center last week after deputy district attorneys failed to file charges against him in a credit card case and before murder charges were filed in the Sept. 8 death of Heather Vitarelli in the casino at Harrah's.

Koot said last week that when Frimmel was originally arrested, he was jailed on the murder charge.

However, Lippis did not believe there was enough evidence to hold him and the charge was dismissed, Koot said. Frimmel was then arrested on the credit card case and ordered to appear before Bixler.

Justice of the Peace James Bixler gave a deputy district attorney extra time to file a criminal complaint on the credit card case, but the district attorney still failed to file it in time, Koot said.

The deputy district attorney was apparently unaware the credit card case was connected to the homicide case, Koot said.

As a result, Bixler was forced to order Frimmel's release.

Two days later, Frimmel and Stephen Mullen, 32, were formally charged with Vitarelli's death.

The criminal complaint states that although Mullen actually shot Vitarelli, both he and Frimmel can be held liable for her death because it happened as a result of a premeditated plan and during the commission of another felony.

Police believe that the men began planning a series of burglaries on Sept. 5 and their plan ended with Vitarelli's death three days later.

The pair's crime spree apparently began when they reportedly stole the wallet of a Harrah's customer on Sept. 5. The criminal complaint alleges the men used credit cards from the wallet at two hotels.

Two days later, the pair went back to Harrah's and stole cash from one woman and a purse from another woman. Inside the purse was more than $2,500 in cash and personal belongings.

Suspecting the men of the thefts, Harrah's security guards confronted them.

As Frimmel ran off, Mullen resisted arrest and was tackled by guards. Police said that while guards struggled to handcuff him, he fired two shots.

One of the shots struck security guard Frank Willis in the abdomen and another hit Vitarelli in the back as she stood oblivious to the struggle.

The security officers were then able to wrest the gun away from Mullen and handcuff him. Other officers caught Frimmel.

The criminal complaint charges each of them with 20 criminal counts ranging from murder to petty larceny.

Koot said it is unclear if Frimmel will fight extradition or when he might be returned to Las Vegas.