U.S. Citizen Stabbed In Downtown San José

A U.S. citizen was stabbed mid-morning Monday, in the middle of downtown San José, by thieves who stole his cell phone.

Police said Richard Donald Briders, 65, was mugged at approximately 10:30 a.m. in front of the McDonald’s fast food restaurant near the Costa Rican Post Office in downtown San José – an area that is usually packed with pedestrians.

Three young men approached Briders – two from behind and in front, and the one in front grabbed his cell phone from his hand and ran, the daily reported. Briders chased after the thieves, and one of them turned and stabbed him near his heart, the daily Al Día reported.

As Briders entered McDonald’s to ask for help, a witness on a motorcycle attempted to chase the thieves, but they got away.

Red Cross workers attended Briders at the scene and took him to San Juan de Diós Hospital in downtown San José in “delicate condition,” according to Red Cross spokesman Alexander Morales. However, Briders was released Monday evening from San Juan de Diós, according to hospital officials.

Randall Muñoz, the director of the Delta One police force that covers much of San José, told The Tico Times that police quickly arrived at the scene and attempted unsuccessfully to catch the attackers.

However, police have a description of the alleged thieves and are on the lookout for them.

“The incident doesn’t surprise me.We are very concerned about the rise of crime,” Muñoz said, assuring that police are doing everything they can to combat the growing number of attacks and muggings. Criminals often target people who are not paying attention or are distracted, he said.