Laptops Stolen In Escazú Robbery

Rob Bartlett February 15, 2008

Robbers hit the Plaza Florencia branch of Bagelmen’s last week, stealing two laptops from customers taking advantage of the restaurant’s wireless Internet service.

Malcolm Matheson, owner of the chain in Costa Rica, told The Tico Times, “We are investigating, along with the security firm, why it was not stopped.”

The company, he said, was “in contact with all the customers that were there at the time,” and would be compensating for the two computers that were taken.

Matheson declined to blame security at Plaza Florencia, in Guachipelín de Escazú, southwest of San José. The robbery occurred about 8 p.m. Feb. 8.

“We just have to deal with the circumstances,” he said. “The only thing we can do is move forward and learn from the experience. Hopefully, people will understand that this has happened in a lot of other places and that it is really the security of the country that needs to be looked at.”

He acknowledged, however, that the firm would be looking to increase security measures to ward off any similar attacks.

The Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) refused to provide any details about the case.

An anonymous e-mail circulated on the Internet this week, warning people about the Bagelmen’s robbery and about using laptops in public view.