A central Minnesota woman fatally shot her ex-husband in the forehead and then killed her boyfriend in a northern Wisconsin motel room in much the same manner a few days later and more than 200 miles away, authorities said Friday.

Angelina Mae Omara, 38, of Cold Spring, was arrested in Sioux Falls early Thursday, her SUV found abandoned in the South Dakota city the night before, according to the second-degree murder charge filed against her in the death of ex-husband James K. Omara, 43, in his Sauk Rapids apartment.

The body of Angelina Omara's boyfriend, 36-year-old Michael Pies, was found Wednesday night in a motel room in Ashland, Wis., according to the complaint.

The bodies of Pies, whose hometown was not immediately known, and James Omara were both found with pillows over their heads and had gunshot wounds to their heads, the charging document read.

No charges have been filed in Pies' killing, and Ashland police have put a gag order in place about the case until next week. Even so, Angelina Omara is suspected of killing Pies, said Jill Oliveira, spokeswoman for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Authorities have yet to reveal a motive in either killing.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Benton County, Minn:

On Tuesday, a strange odor brought an apartment manager to James Omara's home, where he found his tenant's body on the couch. The victim's head was covered with a pillow. Underneath, a bullet wound was visible on his forehead.

James Omara was last seen at various times the previous Friday, including with friend James Styles, who said the two of them were at a bar.

Styles told police that Angelina Omara had been staying with her ex-husband for the past month and that Pies had been threatening James Omara.

On Tuesday, police in Ashland told officers in Sauk Rapids that they had contact with Angelina Omara and Pies because hotel personnel were suspicious after the woman wanted to pay for several days' lodging in advance with cash.

That same day, relatives reported Pies as missing, saying they hadn't seen him since he left last Saturday following a phone call.

Officers checked the hotel room Wednesday and found Pies with a fatal gunshot wound to his head, which was covered with a pillow.

Omara's daughter told police that her mother called the daughter's grandmother on Tuesday and said: "Mike is dead."

Angelina Omara's SUV was found abandoned -- more than 450 miles from Ashland -- Wednesday night in Sioux Falls. She was arrested about five hours later by Sioux Falls police, and remained jailed there late Friday.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482