No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCosta RicaFive students brutally murdered in Liberia

Five students brutally murdered in Liberia

Five university students were found Thursday morning in a studio apartment in Liberia with their throats slashed in an apparent multiple homicide.

Ranging in ages 22 to 24, most of the three female and two male victims were tied up by their hands and feet and also gagged. All of them suffered fatal wounds to their throats from a knife attack before being found around 7 a.m. Thursday, according to a report from the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ).

At a press conference, OIJ Director Walter Espinoza said a 14-year-old girl is the lone survivor of the attacks. As of Thursday afternoon, she was in stable condition at the hospital in Liberia receiving treatment for a severe cut to the throat, according to Espinoza.

The five slain students were all enrolled at the University of Costa Rica and were originally from Upala, Alajuela. At least one of the students was renting the studio apartament, located behind a house in the La Victoria neighborhood of Liberia.

Espinoza said that only one of the victims was not found gagged. No weapon was found inside the small room.

According to the OIJ report, a neighbor found the bodies Thursday morning when he or she found the apartment door open and looked inside the room. The neighbor found the 14-year-old girl still alive, and she was immediately rushed to the local hospital.

OIJ and local reports have identified the five victims as: Stephanie Hernández, 24; Dayanna Martínez, 24; Ingrid Mendéz, 24; Joseph Briones, 22; and Ariel Vargas, 24.

Espinoza and other authorities said Thursday that they have no suspect and are unaware of any possible motive for the homicide. A local prosecutor told the Spanish-language daily La Nación that nothing was stolen from the house.

The National Police Force released a brief statement via social media Thursday morning indicating that it was ramping up search efforts for a potential suspect throughout Guanacaste province. Public Security Minister Gustavo Mata said in a public statement that more officers would be sent to the border with Nicaragua, less than an hour’s drive from Liberia, to prevent a possible escape from the country.

Trending Now

Venezuelan Migrants Describe Torture After Deportation to El Salvador

“You’re going to rot in here. You’ll spend 300 years in prison.” That’s what Maikel Olivera says guards repeatedly told him during his four-month...

Panama Removed from EU High-Risk List, but Tax Haven Status Remains

The film The Laundromat, starring Meryl Streep, damaged Panama's reputation by drawing inspiration from a real-life story: the global scandal that erupted a decade...

Costa Rica Tops Latin America in Attracting Foreign Millionaires

Costa Rica is a country that attracts millionaires. Projections indicate that by the end of 2025, a total of 350 foreign millionaires will have...

Cosby Show Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dies in Costa Rica Drowning Accident

Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away at 54 from an accidental drowning. He gained fame as Theo Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," playing the son in...

Starbucks Expands in Guanacaste with New Store Opening in Tamarindo

Starbucks continues to strengthen its presence in Costa Rica with the opening of its second store in the province of Guanacaste, specifically in Tamarindo....

Low Dollar Exchange Rate Threatens Costa Rican Industry

Ten of Costa Rica’s leading business chambers have sent a joint letter to the Central Bank calling for an immediate adjustment to the country's...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica