A phone call from an employee at cable company Amnet’s office in San Pedro, east of San José, led police to capture three suspects after a foiled robbery became a onehour hostage ordeal.
Three men identified by the last names Morales,Miranda and Ramírez allegedly broke into the San Pedro Amnet office Saturday, handcuffed the private security guard on duty and took four employees hostage at gunpoint. A fifth employee, who was not seen by the intruders, hid underneath a desk and called 911 using his cell phone, according to police.
Police arrived shortly after, surrounded the building and closed off nearby roads.
Inside, the would-be robbers were surprised by the police’s quick response, and watched the events unfold on a live television newscast, the daily La Nación reported. Police, informed of this by the employee inside, asked the media to suspend their live broadcasts.
Shortly after, the manager of the office came outside and told police the men had agreed to turn themselves in. The three alleged robbers then filed out of the office one by one and were arrested. No one was hurt in the incident.
All three of the men arrested have criminal pasts, according to police.Miranda, a Costa Rican, was serving time at a correctional facility in Goicoechea, San José; however, because he was close to finishing his sentence, he had been allowed to leave the facility Saturdays and return Mondays, reported the daily La Nación.Morales, a Dominican, was released from jail three months ago, having served time for aggravated robbery. The third alleged robber, Ramírez, a Costa Rican, is suspected of various thefts of laptop computers but has never been convicted, a police statement said.
