Costa Rican tourism cop locked up and robbed at police station

A Costa Rican tourism police station in Santa Teresa, on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, was robbed on Friday after two men locked up an officer at the station in the Pacific beach town.

According to Tourism Police Director Fulvio Fernández, the two men on motorcycles lured the cop out of the building by asking for help before they pulled a gun on him and led him into a room where they locked him up.

The subjects then proceeded to steal three pistols before fleeing, Fernández said.

For reference, a standard Glock pistol normally used by police officers costs more than $500, according to a search on gunbroker.com. Fernández said that though he couldn’t estimate the exact costs of the stolen weapons, he said the guns’ value lies in more than just their dollar amount.

“The true cost is that our police forces are now temporarily without guns to conduct their daily civic duties,” he said.

Authorities have not reported any robberies or crimes against tourists since the three guns were stolen.

Fernández said that, as far as he was aware, it was the first time in the country’s history that a police officer has been locked up and robbed inside his own station.

At the time of the robbery, approximately 7 p.m. on Friday night, there were five National Police Force officers in service throughout the Santa Teresa/Malpaís area, the director said, although none were near the station.

Jose Garrilo Azofeifa, the Chief Investigator for the canton of Cóbano, said he couldn’t discuss the case but did confirm that the Cóbano Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) delegation was investigating the alleged armed robbery.