At least one more witness agreed to testify against a ring of three alleged prostitutes who drugged their customers.
Police nicknamed the women las dormilonas, or “sleepyheads,” because of their tactics, which they allegedly employed in Jacó and Quepos in the Pacific province of Puntarenas.
Jacó Police Chief Kléver Paco said a second U.S. citizen agreed to be a witness for the prosecution.
“I expect the case to go quickly, with the women being indicted and put into preventive prison at the same time,” he said. “The case should take no longer than three months to resolve, depending on the prosecutor. It always depends on the prosecutor.”
The women in the alleged ring – identified only as Amador, Lezcano and Cortés – are facing charges of aggravated theft after they were arrested Jan. 28 after allegedly robbing more than ¢40 million (about $80,000) during 2007 from at least 15 foreigners, mostly from the United States, according to a police press release.
In addition to the second witness that came forward to police, another alleged victim called The Tico Times this week, saying he didn’t understand why police hadn’t contacted him.
Thomas Lisvosky, a U.S. citizen who owns a condominium in Jacó, said he was drugged and robbed by two of the three women in October. He said the women stole his computer, money, camera and jewelry off his person.
“They drugged me,” he said. “We never had sex. They approached me in the club, bought me drinks, and got me dancing.
Then I started staggering and they said, ‘Baby, let’s go. Let’s get you home safe.’ The drug was pretty strong because I didn’t wake up for 12 hours.”
Lisvosky said he picked the two women out of photos shown to him by police a day after the incident. He also said police reviewed security camera video, which clearly showed them leaving his property with a computer under their arm.
“I’m another witness and the police never contacted me,” he said. “I’ve tried calling the Jacó police but nobody there speaks any English.”
Chief Paco acknowledged his office had nobody who could conduct interviews in English. He recommended foreigners enlist the aid of their embassies or consulates.
“We speak very little English,” he said. “Foreigners need to bring interpreters.”
