Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010 | 9 a.m.
Beyond the Sun
New Jersey authorities say an alert Atlantic City casino patron led them to a Nevada woman and her son, who were wanted in the killing of the woman's husband last month.
State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones said 43-year-old Michelle Costello and her 19-year-old son, Peter, both of Las Vegas, were arrested early Saturday at Resorts Atlantic City. They were being held in the Atlantic County jail on a no-bail fugitive warrant pending extradition proceedings.
Jones said the patron, whose name was not disclosed, approached casino security and told them there were "a couple of murderers on the casino floor." The patron could not remember the suspects' names, but told security officials that they had been recently profiled on the Fox television show "America's Most Wanted."
After being advised of the report, state police detectives directed casino security to maintain surveillance on the pair while they searched the Internet for photos of the suspects and information on their identities.
The detectives soon learned from the TV show's website that the Costellos were wanted by Las Vegas police in connection with the Sept. 20 slaying of 65-year-old Bert English. State Police detectives Thomas Wieczerak and Gene Hanemann and an Atlantic City police officer then approached the Costellos and arrested them without incident.
Jones did not know if either Costello had retained a lawyer. He also did not have further information on English's slaying.
According to the TV show's website, Las Vegas police found his body in the master bedroom of the couple's apartment after Michelle Costello called 911 to report that he was unresponsive. She and her son then left the area that day.
Costello and English had first married several years ago and eventually divorced, but they had remarried in July.
