HomeArchiveU.S. Sex Crime Suspect Arrested in Costa Rica

U.S. Sex Crime Suspect Arrested in Costa Rica

Through a joint effort between Costa Rican and international police, U.S. citizen Richard D. Pate, accused of sexually abusing a minor, was arrested in the Central Valley coffee town of Atenas on Dec. 1, according to a statement released this week by the international police agency Interpol.

Pate is wanted by a court in the U.S.county of Williamson, Texas, where he is accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl in 2003. He allegedly tied her up with a blanket and raped her.

Interpol officials in San José began looking for him in 2005, when an investigation revealed he had entered Costa Rica. He was arrested at the southern border town of Sixaola in 2006 but later freed because of a technicality, the statement said.

Pate was deported to the United States Wednesday morning.

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Reopens Cambronero Highway After Nearly Two-Months

Costa Rica has reopened the Cambronero section of Route 1, restoring an important highway connection between the Central Valley and the Pacific coast after...

Costa Rica Celebrates National Masquerade Day With Traditional Parades and Music

Costa Rica is celebrating one of its most colorful traditions this weekend as giant masks, lively marching bands and characters from local folklore take...

Costa Rica’s Native Stingless Bees at Center of Supreme Court Fight

Costa Rica's tiny native bees have become the center of a legal battle that could affect beekeepers, honey producers and efforts to protect some...

Costa Rica’s President Invites Pope Leo XIV to Visit in 2027

President Laura Fernández formally invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Costa Rica during a private audience at the Vatican, proposing a trip in 2027...

46 US Veterans Tried Ayahuasca in Costa Rica, Where Rules Remain Murky

Forty-six American veterans and first responders drank ayahuasca at a Guanacaste retreat to ease combat trauma. Their stories are moving, but the evidence is thin and Costa Rica's rules remain unsettled.

Tamarindo Celebrates Halloween Weekend With Costume Surfing, Parades and Beach Parties

Tamarindo is getting ready for a Halloween weekend that promises everything from surfers riding waves in costumes to trick-or-treating, costume contests, live music and...

All Three VIP Lounges at Juan Santamaría Airport Close Sunday

All three VIP lounges at Juan Santamaría Airport will be closed Sunday, Nov. 1, and the Mastercard lounge has no reopening date.

Lufthansa to Drop Costa Rica Route in 2027 as Sister Airline Adds More Flights

German airline Lufthansa will stop operating its flights to Costa Rica in December 2027, but travelers will not lose the connection to Europe. Instead,...

Costa Rica’s Cambronero Bridge to Reopen

The Cambronero bridge on Route 1 is scheduled to reopen Tuesday, November 3, restoring traffic through a stretch of the Inter-American Highway closed since...
Loading…

Latest News from Costa Rica

Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Car Rentals
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Travel