Police Officer Shot Dead In Limón Province

Police Lt. German Aguilar Maradiaga was gunned down during a shootout in Envaco, in the Caribbean province of Limón.

Maradiaga, 26, was pursuing motorcyclists suspected of assault when he was shot in the head, arm and armpit. Maradiaga was also hit twice in the chest but his bulletproof vest stopped the shots.

One of the suspected shooters, last name Carby Vilchez, was shot in the chest and is in police custody. Police have sought him for nearly two years. A .38-caliber revolver was recovered near the scene of the crime. Police are seeking accomplices.

The slaying last weekend marks the second of a Costa Rican police officer this year, following the May 6 death of Félix Angel Ruíz outside of the Torremolinos police station, according to a press release.

Eleven officers, have been murdered since 2006, said Walter Guevara, deputy chief of the National Police’s San José Homicide Unit.

Maradiaga leaves behind a 4-year-old son and a pregnant wife.