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Feb
12
Talamanca Mayor Arrested on Suspicion of Corruption
February 12, 2010 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 13 Comments
 An agent stands guard outside the mayor’s house. Photo by Róger Amoretty, courtesy of La Nación |
The municipal mayor of Talamanca, Rugeli Morales Rodriguez, 45, was arrested yesterday morning by agents of the Office of Judicial Investigation (OIJ).
According to information from prosecutors, the mayor is under investigation, along with other local government officials, for the alleged diversion of municipal funds to personal accounts of ¢ 350 million ($640,000 US).
The Limon Deputy Attorney and OIJ agents raided the Municipality of Talamanca and the houses of the mayor and his mother. They seized documents and other evidence in the case.
The authorities also detained other men, one named Barrantes and another named Cortes. Both are employees of the municipality.
These individuals, along with the Mayor, are suspected of crimes of aggravated corruption of public officials and embezzlement and negotiations incompatible with elected office.
Authorities also apprehended several other individuals in the case, one with the surname Bastos, and another named Morales.
Mayor Morales was arrested at 4 a. m. while driving in the area of Vizcaya, some 60 miles from Bribrí.
The police officers approached him and he tried to flee, so a chase ensued until they managed to capture him.
However, his family denied he was running away and said that was heading to the Ministry of Public Works in San Jose, where he had a meeting at 8 a. m. They said he tried to flee when stopped because he thought he was being assaulted by thieves.
The Mayor was then taken to his home, which the authorities had already secured, and subsequently to the municipality to be a witness to the seizure of evidence.
More: La Nación: Alcalde de Talamanca preso por sospecha de corrupción
Dec
19
Missing professor found murdered
December 19, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | Comments Off
The body of Alexander Obando Campos was found today by police investigators. The professor had been missing since Tuesday.
The motive of the murder seems to be robbery according to police. Obando’s laptop and several personal items were taken along with his car.
Authorities confirmed that it appears that the killers were known to the victim.
Several witnesses told the OIJ that in the hours before his death they saw the educator in his car accompanied by some people who are now considered suspects.
More: La Nación: Profesor universitario aparece asesinado
Dec
18
Area English Teacher Disappears
December 18, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 1 Comment
 Someone tried to push the car of the educator into the Estrella River in Penshurt. Photo by Róger Amoretti courtesy of La Nación |
The teacher, Alexánder Obando Campos, lives in Batán de Matina. His car was discovered Wednesday morning beside the La Estrella river in Penshurt and police fear that he has been the victim of a crime.
The 31 year old is single and has no children. He works for the University of Costa Rica and the Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) and also teaches in Amubri in the Talamanca mountains. He had planned to spend Tuesday night in Amubri yet his car was found more than 50 km away.
 Alexander Obando Campos |
The police don’t have any leads on the case but it appears that someone had tried to push his car, a recent model Peugot, into the river but then was stopped by a ditch and gave up the effort.
His brother Joseph stated that Alexander was not in trouble or afraid of anyone. But he did have an altercation with the guard at a gas station some days earlier. But there is no known connection.
“Work was his life. He was well loved and always prepared,” said his brother.
The OIJ asks anyone with any information on this case to call the OIJ at 2798-3936 or the Confidential Information Center at 800-8000-645.
More: La Nación: Policía teme por vida de profesor de UCR y UNED
Dec
1
Environment Ministry Office in Manzanillo Firebombed
December 1, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 4 Comments
 The walls were partially burned but the type of material prevented the spread of the flames. Photo by Marvin Carvajal, courtesy La Nación |
The offices of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications (MINAET) in Manzanillo were attacked last Thursday night or Friday morning.
The attack occurred late at night or very early and only on Friday morning did the MINAET official, who was sleeping inside, discover that they had been attacked.
Luckily for the staff member, the flames did not ignite the walls and there was only minor damage. The windows, walls and floors are marked where you can see how the flames tried to spread.
Some locals have attributed the cause of the firebombing to frustration over the actions taken recently by MINAET regarding Hotels Suerre and Las Palmas.
Source: La Nación: Atentado con bomba molotov contra oficina del Minaet
Oct
24
Gordo Malo Dies in Stabbing
October 24, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 4 Comments
 Benavides body was taken to the OIJ morgue. Photo by Roger Amoretty. |
A local resident was found stabbed on Thursday and died of a knife wound to his chest.
The victim was Mágnum Enrique Benavides Zúñiga, known locally as Gordo Malo.
Authorities were unable to locate any witnesses to the attack. But there are plenty of possible motives as Benavides was alleged by many in the community to have been responsible for many break-ins over the years in Puerto Viejo.
More: La Nación: Sucesos Viernes 23 de octubre de 2009
Jul
27
Bracelet? T-Shirt? Joint?
July 27, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 1 Comment
 Local artisans at the market along the Puerto Viejo beachfront |
Investigators have busted a vendor at the artisan’s market in Puerto Viejo who was selling marijuana along with bracelets, necklaces and other assorted souvenirs.
La Nacion reports that the man, with the last name Velázquez, but known to local police as Juan, had been under surveillance for several days by OIJ investigators from Limon.
The investigators were responding to anonymous complaints from neighbors that drugs were being sold openly at the market, which is on the main road in downtown Puerto Viejo.
On Friday, the agents made 5 drug purchases and then arrested Velaquez. They seized several marijuana joints along with a collection of bracelets. As well, they seized several marked bills which had been used in the drug purchases.
A judge in Limon then gave Velaquez six months of preventative detention while the investigation and court case proceeds.
More: La Nación: Artesano vendía drogas a turistas en Puerto Viejo
Jul
16
Police who charge tourist $100 for smoking marijuana detained
July 16, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | Comments Off
Two policemen in Puerto Viejo, identified by their surnames Morales and Pereira, have been detained and suspended after allegedly extorting a bribe from a Canadian tourist who they caught smoking marijuana.
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon when the two officers apparently came upon the Canadian man and his girlfriend smoking marijuana. They said that if they were not paid, they would take harsh action. The man paid them $40 and agreed to meet them later to pay the rest of the amount.
A local businessman though was aware of the situation and called the chief of the police in Bribri. Together with officers from the judicial investigation office (OIJ), they arrested the two officers.
The two policemen have been charged with the crime of extortion, a crime which is punishable by a prison term of 2 to 8 years.
In addition, they have been suspended from their positions for 3 months pending the investigation and barred from contacting anyone involved in the case.
Source: La Nación: Policías cobran $100 a turista para dejarlo fumar marihuana
Jun
25
Police apprehend five undocumented African migrants in Manzanillo
June 25, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | Comments Off
Police arrested five migrants of African origin who had been abandoned by smugglers on the beach in Manzanillo, reported an official today.
The Security Ministry said in a statement that the incident took place last Wednesday, when police discovered five foreigners, allegedly from Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, who were walking in an unknown direction and with no identification documents.
Apparently, the five foreigners were abandoned on Manzanillo beach, near Puerto Viejo, and made to believe they were in Canada, presumably the final destination of the trip, the ministry explained.
The five were identified as Glemeskel Berivan, 26 years, Golden Assefa, 25, both from Ethiopia, Allen Negash, 24, from Eritrea, and Almeda Ali, 26, and an unidentified minor under 16, both from Somalia.
The Costa Rican authorities believe that 28 other Africans may have been abandoned in the coastal area near Panama by the same smugglers.
In November 2008 officers seized in Costa Rica four Eritreans, who also entered the country without documents.
The authorities indicated that there are at least two ways in which African immigrants illegally enter Costa Rica: both start in Europe.
Some of them enter Italy illegally, where they get a permit to travel in the European Union. Then they go to Spain and from there are flown to Costa Rica, to cross Central America and Mexico by land to reach the United States.
Africans also have taken flights from Malta, an island located near southern Italy, to Venezuela, then moved by sea or land, mostly with a final destination of the United States.
Source: Univision: Policía de Costa Rica aprehende a cinco inmigrantes africanos sin documentos
Jun
21
Murder Suspect Released
June 21, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | Comments Off
On Wednesday, the court in Limon released the suspect who has accused of the murder of Carlos Navarro, known locally as Rulos.
The suspect, identified in the latest La Nación article by last name Lewis (but previously referred to by last name Mitchell) was initially ordered held in preventative detention for three months by a Bribri judge. He had been held since June 3. The prosecutor had said there was sufficient proof to hold him while the investigation proceeded but the Limon judge has taken a different view.
Source: La Nación: Tribunal de Limón libera a tres asaltantes y a acusado de crimen
Jun
4
Late Night Party on Beach Ends in Murder
June 4, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 1 Comment
 The crime happened at the beach downtown where the craft vendors setup. Photo by Martin Carvajal, courtesy of La Nación |
A party on the beach in the early hours of Wednesday morning ended in one man dead.
Deciding to get the last word in an argument which had been ongoing, a man identified by last name Mitchel went home for a firearm and shot his rival.
The victim is 20 year old Carlos Navarro, known locally as Rulos. He was shot six times at close range, twice in the head, twice in the chest and twice in the arms. The authorities arrested Mitchell several hours later.
The victim and suspect were seen at about 3 am yesterday along with other men on the beach.
“It is common here in the middle of the night when the bars close, people come to this sector of the beach where they sell crafts,” said Harold Brooks, chief of police for Puerto Viejo.
According to the report of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), the suspect in the crime was inebriated.
The authorities collected shells from a 9-mm gun at the site of the shooting.
Marcela Oviedo, owner of the restaurant Francini, worried about the harm that such acts cause to tourism. “It has lowered the number of tourists who visit us, because there are problems with drugs and assaults. We need more police presence”, said Oviedo.
More: La Nación: Discusión termina con hombre acribillado
May
23
Rapist Jailed
May 23, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 13 Comments
The much talked about sexual offender in Playa Chiquita area has been arrested and is in jail. He was identified with bite marks and scratch marks after an attempted assault late at night along main road leading south of town. The victim managed to escape her attacker, but did require multiple stitches.
She remained in the area after the attack to identify the suspect. The suspect has been given 6 months preventative prison while awaiting trial. During that time, investigators will also attempt to get evidence linking him to previous assaults.
The recent arrest comes as a result of very active members in the business community who worked relentlessly and would not give up on making sure this person was apprehended. Local community members hope that this latest arrest results in a guilty verdict and this chapter is closed.
Apr
3
Interest in Puerto Viejo Continues to Grow
April 3, 2009 | Tags: Accidents and Natural Disasters, Crime & Punishment, Site news, Tourism | 2 Comments
In these challenging economic times, many local businesses seen a drop in business. But there is some good news too: interest in Puerto Viejo and the South Caribbean coast of Costa Rica remains very high. You can see this by looking at the growth of visitors to Puerto Viejo Satellite. In the quarter just finished, there were over 40,000 unique visitors to the website!
Traffic has grown at a very fast rate ever since the website has launched and the website is bigger and better than ever with:
• More listings than ever
• More features than ever like the recently added restaurant page or the listing detail pages (see this one for example)
• More complete information than ever – additional transport options for example added to the transport page as we find out about them
The area has also benefited from the marketing savvy of the owner one of the newer hotels in town, Banana Azul. Banana Azul was recently even mentioned on the Today show as a affordable vacation spot in these recessionary times. As more people find Banana Azul, they also discover the whole area as they discover the place that is a good fit for them or visit local restaurants and tour providers.
The growing tour company Gecko Trail Adventures has also contributed. Their Costa Rica tour packages have a strong emphasis on the Caribbean coast and so many people discover this area even if they don’t know Manzanillo from Montezuma.
All in all, we see great things ahead!
Aug
26
Violence Causes Spotlight to Fall on Puerto Viejo
August 26, 2008 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | Comments Off
 Self-proclaimed hitman, Gordo Malo. Photo by Nick Wilkinson courtesy of Tico Times |
Continued violent crime in our community has caused even more negative media attention, and has the community talking about a provocative news article published in Costa Rica’s English language weekly, The Tico Times.
The latest incident claimed two persons in a fight which turned deadly on Aug 15 at Stanford’s Restaurant when the combatants started firing (see La Nación: Dos rivales fallecen en un intercambio de balas en bar). This event, like most of the dramatic headline crime events, involved criminal gang members fighting it out for control.
But the continued violent crime has also got local residents and tourists worried. Not least because of the still unresolved case of the rapist who was victimizing female tourists on Playa Chiquita. While there have been no more of those events reported recently, there have been no arrests made either. Community leaders have called for the suspect to be held under preventative detention while the matter is investigated but to no avail. The suspect has apparently been under closer supervision from his family instead which may account for no more incidents.
The Tico Times featured Puerto Viejo in this week’s issue as their top story. The story, entitled Fear and Loathing in Puerto Viejo (original article here or archived here), has the community talking, not the least because the article accused local real estate agent Manuel Pinto of considering hiring a hit man, after his family was assaulted, a charge Pinto vehemently denies. “[The statement has] been completely taken out of context and is absolutely and unconditionally false,” says Pinto. He continues that “Despite our deep and extreme frustrations (the important theme of the article) with the legal system that has all but ignored us and in many cases aggravated our situations, we continue to use all legal options and avenues to resolve the threats made against us. This is a long and painful process – but one we are committed to and are fully engaged into.” You can read his full response here.
The article then goes on to interview a local self-proclaimed hit man Magno Enrique Beñavides, known as Gordo Malo, for his opinion on the violence.
Hopefully all the talk and attention on the situation will actually result in some substantive changes to the way the police and justice system operate.
Jul
8
Suspected Rapist Still Walking Streets of Puerto Viejo
July 8, 2008 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 3 Comments
The serial rapist who judicial officials believe has preyed on at least seven women including a 16-year old girl is still walking the streets in Puerto Viejo, they said.
Agents believe they know who the rapist is, said a judicial official Wednesday. But the one case that may have enough evidence for a conviction, hasn’t even gotten the suspect in preventative detention. Instead the suspect must simply sign in to the prosecutor every 15 days, said a court spokeswoman.
In January of 1997, a court sentenced the suspect, Rolando Alonso Brown Humphreys, to 13 years in prison for rape. Brown only served six of those 13 years, said Guillermo Bermúdez, the regional director of the Judicial Investigation Organization in Limón. “His sentence was probably cut in half for good behavior. He may have swept the floors and helped clean,” said Bermúdez. Brown was released in 2003.
Since 2003, eight women have reported rapes or attempted rapes in the Puerto Viejo area, said Bermúdez. Three of the reported rapes were this year, said the Limón judicial director.
And officials believe there may be more victims. “Many may not have reported the crime since they left the country or were scared,” said César Villalobos, the regional judicial director of the Judicial Investigation Organization in Bribri. After numerous lab results came back inconclusive or negative, officials did not have enough evidence to arrest anyone, said Villalobos. Many times the rapist has covered the victims face with a cloth to preserve his identity. He preys mainly on women not from the area, such as tourists, said officials.
Many of the women reported that the rapist approached them and asked them where they were from, according to Bermúdez. He then attempts to speak English with the victim, said the judicial official. The man then covers the victim’s face, many times with an article of their her clothing, said Bermúdez. He proceeds to rape her and ask her questions as he rapes her, said Bermúdez
In 2003, Brown served eight more months of preventative prison in an attempted rape case, said Bermúdez. The outcome was uncertain.
Judicial agents have investigated Brown in the rape of a 16 year old girl and a 55-year-old woman from the United States, among others, said Bermúdez. Five out of the seven victims were foreigners, added the judicial official. The majority of the reported victims are in their 20s, said Bermúdez, there was also a 36-year-old victim, he said.
One victim who fought off the rapist in March, reported the crime and named Brown as the suspect, officials said. However, officials seemed to be confused as to whether the crime was an attempted rape or a robbery.
Somehow when the victim filed the complaint about an attempted rape, the case was filed as a “robbery” by a judge in Bribri, said Eddie Ryan, vice president of the Cámara de Turismo de Puerto Viejo. Whether the woman was in a state of shock, the judicial complaint was unclear or the judge made an error is not known, said Ryan, who has been active in the case. The townspeople have been active, too, and sent a petition to the president of the Corte Suprema de Justicia, Luis Paulino Mora Mora, according to Ryan.
Bermúdez also said he had the complaint listed as a robbery. A court spokeswoman, however said the prosecutor in Bribri is calling the crime a rape. The suspect, must sign in every 15 days, must not approach the victim and must remain at home, said the spokeswoman. The spokeswoman did not know if the crime had previously been labeled as a robbery, she said, but the duration of the restrictive measures have been extended for three more months.
Group of Women form network to support victims of sexual violence
In related news, a group of area women have begun meeting to form a network in order to support women who’ve experienced sexual violence.
They have two main objectives.
1. To create a resource network to help victims of sexual violence both with the legal and therapeutic ramifications.
2. To work with local youth in order to open a dialog about sexual abuse and its prevention.
The group will meet again in September. The group is an anonymous one due to the delicacy of this issue. If you or a friend has experienced sexual violence and need some help, if you have professional experience in situations like this, or if you are interested in getting involved to lend a hand to those in need; contact ATEC and they’ll get you into contact with the group.
Sources
A.M. Costa Rica: Judge declines to confine the Puerto Viejo rape suspect
Greencoast News: Women’s Group Forms
Jun
16
Two Cahuita Policemen Arrested on Suspicion of Involment in Murder
June 16, 2008 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | Comments Off
 Two police officers are arrested. Photo by Mario Rojas courtesy of La Nacion |
Two policement in Cahuita, with the last names Cortés and Angulo, have been arrested on suspicion of their involvement in the murder of two men and the attempted murder of two others. Two other policemen are being sought for questioning in the same case.
This follows the deaths of 23-year-old Roy Gerardo Sotera Prenderas and 16-year-old Natanael Obregón Rodríguez, and the injury of two other men who apparently escaped death only by pretending to be dead. The two injured men, brothers Alexánder Dixon Obregón, 22, and Ricardo Armando Dixon Obregón, 25, are in hospital under police guard.
The policemen themselves are not directly accused of the murders but investigators from the justice division (OIJ) are speculating that the police caught the 4 men and then turned them over to gang members who went on to torture the 4 men and kill 2 in what was apparently drug-trafficking related gang violence.
The murdered men were discovered still wearing police-issue handcuffs. Their bodies showed signs of torture.
Investigators discovered a bag with $80,000 in cash burried in the yard of one of the accused officers, leading investigators to believe that the killings had some relationship with the drug trade.
More:
La Nacion: Policías en Limón fueron reclutados por banda de narcos
A.M. Costa Rica: Police officers are suspects in twin Cahuita murder
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