U.S. Tourist Allegedly Beat Mother to Death

A 35-year-old tourist from the UnitedStates allegedly beat his mother to deathwhile on vacation here, and has beenarrested and placed in preventive detention,authorities announced Monday.The man, identified as Garret CawikaGora, arrived in the country from the U.S.state of Hawaii last Saturday and allegedlykilled his mother, Dorlene AnnetteGora, 62, Saturday around midnight in aroom at Las Orquídeas Inn in Alajuela,east of San José, according to the JudicialInvestigation Police (OIJ) press office.OIJ agents are investigating the killing.“Gora faces six months of preventiveprison,” said Judicial Branch spokesmanSergio Bonilla.Official information about the injurieson the victim’s body was not available.However, the daily La Nación reported apreliminary analysis suggested the victimhad bruises all over her body and possiblefractures on her arms, legs and thorax.One police hypothesis is that Goramay have left the hotel Saturday nightlooking for drugs in the area and returnedlater that night asking his mother formoney to make another purchase. Whenthe woman denied her son the cash, hemay have beaten her to death.Hotel owner Erick Barrantes denied thisversion of events, telling The Tico TimesGora never left the hotel on a drug hunt.“In 17 years we have never experienceda situation like this. This mannever left the hotel to buy drugs,” he said.Security officers from the hotel heardthe beating and when they tried to stophim, the suspect jumped off a four-meter highbalcony and ran to a neighboringstreet, where the guards handcuffed andled him to the hotel until police arrived at2 a.m., Barrantes said.According to Barrantes, the hotelreceptionist tried calling 911 and the localpolice but no one answered the phone.“At the moment the aggression wastaking place, we tried asking for help butno one answered,” Barrantes said.