No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessInept criminals sentenced to prison for attempting to steal a truck they...

Inept criminals sentenced to prison for attempting to steal a truck they couldn’t drive

These two criminals could have taken some advice from the old saying, don’t bite off more than you can chew. A man identified with the surname Zelaya (or Zeleya, in different police statements) and another surnamed Reyes were sentenced to six and fours years in prison, respectively, for stealing a truck they couldn’t drive, according to a statement from the Public Security Ministry onWednesday.

On Sept. 12, police on Rohrmoser Boulevard in western San José said they heard the grinding sound of someone who didn’t know how to start a truck, according to a statement last month from the ministry. When cops approached the vehicle, they recognized Zelaya behind the wheel, who was known to police for having committed several robberies in Pavas. He also had two outstanding warrants and no driver’s license when police arrested him red-handed. Later that day, police captured Zelaya’s accomplice, Reyes, who also had priors for robbery. Both were remanded to a flagrancy court in Pavas.

The driver of the targeted truck told police, “That man definitely did not know how to drive, and I have no idea how it occurred to him to steal my truck, because he wouldn’t have moved a meter.”

Trending Now

Costa Rica turned out for the 2026 World Cup final

By early afternoon on Sunday, the concert grounds at Parque Metropolitano La Sabana had turned into an open-air stadium of their own. Families, groups...

US Condemns Ortega’s Move to End Elections in Nicaragua

The United States warned Tuesday that it would not stand “idly by” after President Daniel Ortega announced that Nicaragua would no longer hold elections,...

Costa Rica Orders Televisions Removed From Prison Cells

Costa Rica's Ministry of Justice and Peace has ordered the immediate removal of every television set from cells across the national prison system, the...

Costa Rica Approves Budget Shift From Childcare and Housing Programs

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly has given final approval to an extraordinary budget that redirects ₡70 billion (about $154 million) previously assigned to childcare, nutrition...

Costa Rica Hospitals Cancel Surgeries Amid Specialist Shortage

More than 199,000 patients were waiting for surgery in Costa Rica’s public healthcare system at the end of 2025 as a severe shortage of...

Costa Rica’s Hottest Property Market Is About to Get Its First Rulebook

The Municipality of Santa Cruz is moving to impose order on one of Costa Rica's fastest-growing property markets, preparing a coastal and urban zoning...

Costa Rica’s San Jose Airport Is Getting Its First Hotel

Costa Rica's San Jose airport is about to gain something no other airport in Central America has: a hotel guests can reach on foot...

Mexico Earthquake Triggers Tsunami Alert with Little Risk to Costa Rica

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of southern Mexico this morning, setting off a tsunami alert for parts of Mexico and...

Costa Rica ‘sold itself’ to Washington for visa power, says Óscar Arias

Former President and Nobel Peace laureate Óscar Arias has accused Costa Rica of surrendering its foreign-policy independence to the United States, telling a San...
🌴 The Weekly Pura Vida

Costa Rica, Once a Week

The week's top stories, weather & insider tips — delivered every Sunday. One email, zero clutter.

🔒 Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Loading…

Latest News from Costa Rica

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