Texas Woman Wanted In Fatal Shooting Of Cyclist Arrested In Costa Rica
Kaitlin Armstrong, 34, is believed to have flown to Costa Rica with a fake passport in the days after Anna “Mo” Wilson's shooting death in Austin, Texas. The left image shows her in a surveillance image. (Photo: usmarshals.gov)
A Texas woman wanted in the shooting death of a professional cyclist that she was purportedly in a love triangle with has been arrested in Costa Rica after being sought for seven weeks.
Kaitlin Armstrong, 34, was taken into custody Wednesday at a hostel in the beachside town of Santa Teresa. She will be deported and returned to the U.S. to face charges in Anna Moriah Wilson’s death, the U.S. Marshals said Thursday.
Armstrong fled the U.S. just days after Wilson, 25, was found shot to death inside an Austin apartment after spending an evening swimming with Armstrong’s boyfriend, fellow professional cyclist Colin Strickland, 34, on May 11, authorities said.
Armstrong was staying at a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in Costa Rica's Provincia de Puntarenas at the time of her arrest, authorities said. The local beach is pictured. (Photo: MatsBehring via Getty Images)
Armstrong sold her Jeep Grand Cherokee two days later and then flew to New York City. She traveled to New Jersey’s Newark International Airport where she caught a flight to San Jose on May 18 using a fake passport, the U.S. Marshals said.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether anyone is believed to have helped her in her alleged escape or if any other arrests are expected in the case. The U.S. Marshals did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment.
“This is an example of combining the resources of local, state, federal and international authorities to apprehend a violent fugitive, bring an end to that run and hopefully a sense of closure to the victim’s family,” Susan Pamerleau, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas, said in a statement on Armstrong’s capture.
Wilson was visiting Austin from Vermont ahead of an upcoming race there when authorities believe Armstrong shot her multiple times at an apartment where she was staying.
Armstrong, who cycled recreationally, is seen in two additional photos shared by the U.S Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force. (Photo: USMarshals.gov)
Strickland told investigators that he met up with her to go swimming behind Armstrong’s back and then dropped her off at the apartment before heading home, according to a previously released affidavit.
Shortly after Wilson’s return, authorities said surveillance video captured Armstrong’s vehicle driving past Wilson’s apartment. Wilson’s friend later found her fatally shot inside.
Strickland told investigators that he communicated with Wilson in secret because Armstrong didn’t approve of their friendship since he briefly dated Wilson in October of last year while on a relationship break with Armstrong.
Text messages exchanged between Wilson and Strickland in January suggested that Wilson believed she was still in a relationship with Strickland, however, even though he was dating Armstrong, according to the affidavit.
Armstrong was questioned by authorities in Wilson’s death and said she couldn’t explain why her vehicle was in that area at the time, according to the affidavit. She was then released by authorities, reportedly due to a legal discrepancy over a typo in her arrest warrant.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
