Atlantic City: 2 Tourists Dead Outside Bally's

2 Canadian tourists stabbed to death in Atlantic City

May 21, 2012|By Jacqueline L. Urgo, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

ATLANTIC CITY — Two Canadian women on vacation here were stabbed and killed Monday during a robbery outside Bally’s Atlantic City Casino Hotel, just steps from where a police officer was standing.

Police declined to provide the names of the victims, or precisely where they were from, pending notification of family. They also would not say how the women are related.

Atlantic City Police Officer Jacob Abbruscato was patrolling the area where the attack occurred — at Pacific and Michigan Avenues, located inside the newly created Atlantic City Tourism District — when he noticed what was happening and ran to assist the victims. Abbrusacto drew his service weapon and ordered suspect Antoinette E. Pelzer, 44, of Philadelphia, to drop her weapon and to get on the ground.

Pelzer complied and was taken into custody. The victims were taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s City Campus, located across the street from where the attack occurred.

By Monday afternoon both women had succumbed to their injuries, which consisted of multiple stab wounds to their upper torsos. Pelzer was initially charged with two counts of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, and robbery. Bail has not been set and it is likely the charges will be upgraded, according to an Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman.

Contact Jacqueline L. Urgo at 609-652-8382 or jurgo@phillynews.com or read the Jersey Shore blog Downashore at www.philly.com/downashore.

http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-21/news/31801667_1_multiple-stab-wounds-canadian-tourists-service-weapon