Authorities in Costa Rica have detained four people linked to the robbery and suspected killing of Daniel Francisco Vargas Salas, a 71-year-old man who held dual U.S. and Costa Rican citizenship. Locals knew him as “Gringo Tico” for his long life in the country. The arrests come after weeks of investigation into his disappearance last month, which has gripped communities in Alajuela and Heredia.
Police from the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) carried out the arrests on Wednesday in Barva de Heredia. The suspects include a man named García Gutiérrez, his daughter García Castro, her boyfriend Isaza Calderón, and another woman. Investigators describe the group as a family operation focused on home break-ins. Two of the detainees tried to escape to Nicaragua but came back to Costa Rica, where officers nabbed them right away.
The case started when Vargas went missing from his home on Las Lomas Street in Carrizal de Alajuela. Neighbors last saw him on September 12. They grew concerned after days without any sign of him and reported a vehicle showing up to haul away all his belongings. That tip led authorities to dig deeper.
OIJ teams raided homes in Barva and San Pablo de Heredia earlier in the month. They recovered a haul of stolen items from Vargas’ place, including plates, pots, cutlery, thermos flasks, a washing machine, a refrigerator, a bed with mattress, a grill, a pickaxe, a chest of drawers, and bedside tables. At the time, they arrested a 29-year-old woman named García on suspicion of handling stolen goods. Her home held many of these items.
Vargas’ car also vanished but turned up on September 24 at a business in Heredia. That find added pieces to the puzzle. Then, a major break came over the weekend. A local guide spotted a body in a pit while passing through a farm in Carrizal de Alajuela.
The remains were in advanced decomposition, making quick identification tough. OIJ agents say forensic work, including DNA tests, continues to confirm if it’s Vargas. Preliminary reports point to that possibility, given the location near his home.
Randall Zúñiga, OIJ director, shared insights into the probe. He noted that the suspects aimed to take over Vargas’ property through fake documents. They cleared out his house to erase signs of occupancy. Zúñiga said the group sought Vargas’ death mainly to claim his land, with the stolen goods as a side benefit. Officers found those items scattered in other homes during the raids.
The four detainees now face the Public Prosecutor’s Office, where prosecutors will seek preventive measures like detention while the case builds. If the body proves to be Vargas, charges could escalate to homicide.
This incident highlights risks for older residents living alone in rural spots. Vargas, who had made Costa Rica his home for years, became a familiar figure in the area. His neighbors’ quick action in reporting odd activity helped launch the search.
As the investigation wraps up forensic details, families and locals wait for closure. The OIJ urges anyone with tips to come forward, stressing how community input has driven progress so far.
