Man Vandalized Home After Killing Girlfriend In Lakewood: Affidavit

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A Lakewood man charged with murder in the death of his girlfriend beat and choked her, then vandalized her home before taking off with her car and valuables, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case.

John Filistovich, 59, has been charged with murder in the death of Betty Perry, 60, who was found in the bedroom of her Leisure Village home on May 30, authorities have said. He was extradited from Maryland and is being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River pending a detention hearing.

Lakewood police had been called to the home “numerous times” for violations of temporary restraining orders, and neighbors told authorities that Filistovich had been “verbally abusive” toward Perry and had threatened to kill her, according to the affidavit.

It was not clear how long the two had been dating, how long Filistovich had been living with her, or whether there was a restraining order in place at the time Perry was killed. Filistovich had been arrested in August 2022 for violating a temporary restraining order, according to a police report.

Perry was found after a social worker called police when she came to Perry’s home but no one answered the door, the affidavit said. A neighbor had contacted the social worker after not seeing Perry for “several days,” according to the affidavit.

It is not clear how long she had been dead; she had been beaten in the face and her nose broken, the medical examiner found, and had been choked, based on marks on the right side of her neck, the affidavit said. She was bruised and had cuts and scraped up and down her body, according to the affidavit.

Inside the home, officers found spraypaint on the walls throughout the house and in the garage. Perry’s car was missing; automated license plate readers showed her 2015 Hyundai Elantra was in Trenton on May 28, the affidavit said.

Filistovich was found about 7 a.m. on May 30 by Maryland State Troopers and appeared to be having a mental health episode, the affidavit said. He was taken to a hospital and Maryland authorities contacted Ocean County authorities, who had been preparing to request a search warrant to track three phone numbers, the affidavit said.

One phone belonged to Filistovich; a second number, provided by his son, belonged to Perry, and a third number was one Filistovich gave authorities when he was arrested in August 2022 for violating a temporary restraining order, the affidavit said.

Ocean County authorities later drove to Maryland with a search warrant to collect items Filistovich had when he was taken to the hospital, including clothing with blood stains on it, Perry’s debit card, jewelry and watches, cash and a wallet with cards, the affidavit said.
ATM machines and the Garden State Parkway dated May 27-29, along with a book with an inscription he had written to Perry, and several unspecified prescriptions belonging to Filistovich, the affidavit said.

Authorities also seized four cell phones when they picked up the items Filistovich had with him when he was found by Maryland State Troopers.

Previous coverage:

• Man Accused Of Killing Girlfriend In Lakewood Had Prior Threats Arrest
• Man Charged In Killing Of Girlfriend In Leisure Village Back In NJ