According to OIJ Director Francisco Segura Montero, 45 people have been shot dead by motorcyclists since the beginning of 2014. Honduras, Guatemala and several other Latin American countries prohibit passengers on motorcycles. But it's unclear whether the rule has reduced crime in those countries.
Last year was a rough one for Costa Rica when it came to crime. No where was this more clear than the dramatic increases in homicides and burglaries of homes, according to the Judicial Investigation Police’s (OIJ) 2014 annual report released Monday. Homicides spiked across the country by 14.6 percent – more than any other crime – with 471 people killed during 2014.
In January, the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) released store video of a 27-year-old woman artfully snatching a television and hiding it under her dress. The video from the OIJ Pococí delegation shows the shoplifter walking with ease with the boxed flat-screen TV lodged between her legs.
Arrested with more than 3 kilograms of cocaine in his suitcase, the tourist becomes the first drug mule caught in Costa Rica this year, according to the Public Security Ministry.
Costa Rica had a pretty “pura vida” year in 2014 when it came to crime. Compared to unidentified helicopters, $6 billion money laundering schemes and the break up of an organ trafficking ring in 2013, 2014 was a more pedestrian year. But there were still a handful of standout crime stories this year.
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.
President Luis Guillermo Solís and Public Security Minister Celso Gamboa traveled to San Carlos, Alajuela, on Monday, to announce an investment of more than ₡205 million ($383,000) in the canton’s National Police force following a rash of robberies and attacks in the area, a popular tourist destination.
