Suspect arrested in brutal murder of US charity founder, Sondra Lynn Elizondo in Costa Rica

Sondra Lynn Elizondo, 45 was found murdered in a San Jose hotel room Wednesday. (Facebook photo)

December 12th, 2015 (ICR News) The prime suspect in the murder of Sandra Lynn Elizondo, a Florida woman found brutally murdered in a San Jose hotel room on Wednesday, was arrested by agents of Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) late Friday.

The 25-year-old man was arrested at his home in Coronado and was found to be in possession of personal items belonging to the victim, according to the OIJ. Authorities have not yet released the man’s identity.

Tabloid daily, Diario Extra reports that the man was also in possession of the victim’s credit card, which the suspect had apparently used for multiple purchases since the victim’s death.

Elizondo, 46, was the co-founder of Vida Volunteer, an organization that provides free medical and dental care in needy communities in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala, the organization confirmed on Thursday. She was also the mother of two teenagers.

Elizondo’s body was found naked in a pool of blood, with multiple stab wounds to the neck, chest, and abdomen, in a hotel room in San Jose’s Barrio California neighborhood on Wednesday. Blood splatter was found in the room indicative of defensive wounds, according to sources that were not authorized to speak on the matter.

Elizondo and the suspect are believed to have been involved in some type of romantic relationship.

The Casa 69 hotel in Barrio California, San Jose, where Elizondo was found murdered on Wednesday.

ATTENTION: If you are seeing this message,

Michael C
A quick, quiet drop off a bridge, with crocodiles waiting below, would seem a suitable and expeditious handling of the suspect! Case closed…..next!
- Jim Krueger
  Never happen in this screwed up country!
  - Rolman80 80
    I m sorry dont a typical looser white man arent you killing millions in the middle east and have many wars millions of dead under your belt are you perfect NO have you seen your knews where you white man butcher your own wifes children and than comit suicide or how about all those serial killers frustrated white males that go on those shooting sprees. You aint no saint to be passing judgement.
- Asarhondo
  Nothing to see her people. A loose white woman meets her faith.
Chris Thomas
That’s CR tourists do not realize that their life is worth nothing in CR, this guy will get off easy and this lady will be another number and stats, if you get killed in CR nothing gets done by local authorities and US embassy will slam their doors in your face in other worth life is worth nothing in CR.
- Jim Krueger
  Couldn’t agree with you more!
- Rolman80 80
  Do you know since when we have this violence in costa rica since the mexican and colombians cartel arrive here and why are they here? They are here moving drugs and weapons to and from the US. the majority of the violence is drug related and by no means we are not taking responsibility but you also have to take a share of that because if you people in the US were not such junkies YOU would have a better country as well as US.
  - Chris Thomas
    Ok you are partly right but look at the corruption in the CR government is like a mafia there and Ticos are dying left and right and there so much crime on the street, you wanna blame some one blame the monopoly and the families that run Costa Rica the Figures/Calderon and all of the diputados who are getting paid under the table from the drug lords. The owners of the Universal,Cerveceria Costa Rica,Lehman and all the monopolies. CR government does not invest in infrastructure, like the saying goes todo para dentro y nada para fuera is the CR way. We know the US government is corrupt tell us something we do not know but CR government is in the the top 10 corrupt governments in the world and they sell this marketing campaign of a country of human rights and peace and stability and this year was a record year for murders. You know why Figueres abolished the army? It was for his ow self serving purposes so he would disarm the locals and no one could rise against the CR government and his party and have a coup, he wanted lambs not wolfs. Typical of Costa Ricans to always blame everyone else for their own created problems and not take responsibility for their actions.
    - Rolman80 80
      Yes I have admited what you said fully 100% your are probably right not partially now is your turn that you gringos are huge catalyst of all this problem in mexico central america colombia the middle east asia africa etc etc and not partially. And we are paying for this with many people getting murder.
      - thismachinekillsfascists
        I think Ticos should stop blaming other countries for the crime and bad behaviour that happens here. I have lived here for 14 years and I have been attacked 5 times by gangs of Ticos and assaulted 3 times by armed thug Ticos. never once have I ever been attacked or assaulted by a Nicaraguan, Columbian, Mexican, etc etc. I even got attacked in Nicaragua by a drugged out Tico. I think it is in the Costa Rican blood to be smug and think that their shit doesn’t stink. The sooner Ticos can admit to their corruption and their bad education, the sooner they can begin to change and make this a better place.
      - Karen Mata
        You need to hit the gym, machine.
        I was living in CR the better part of 20 years, up until 2011.
        No assaults. I´m just 6 01, 185, and fortunate I guess.
        Had my car broken into while dining at a Sabana rest. A downpour, and the guard took cover.
      - Anthony
        You were fortunate. The two Emily’s in 2000 were murdered in Limon, and Shannon Martin was murdered in Golfito in 2003. C.R. has been a dangerous place for foreigners for years. All 3 of the above girls were Americans. Remember it well. Though I will say, in both instances the girls made some stupid moves. You can Google them.
      - Derryl Hermanutz
        There are bad areas in every city in North America. If you go walking through them looking like a prosperous naive tourist, you’re probably going to come out of them looking like a robbed or mugged tourist. Especially if you wander around at night when the wild side comes out to play and prey. Costa Rica is no different than any other place, except there are more tourists here than most places.
        Most robbers and muggers are flat broke poor, no matter where they live, so “everybody” looks like a rich target to them. My wife and I are white-haired non Tico-looking retirees who have lived here for 3 1/2 years with no crime problems at all. We just exercise the same common sense precautions here as we did living in North America.
      - Rolman80 80
        I move to costa rica 12 years ago from the US and I m not tico never had nothing happening to me I go to lion 13 to buy weed if you dont feel save leave we have problems and that is for sure, if people want to stay you have consider the good with the bad and things are getting bad not only in costa rica but in the entire planet specialy in latin america even in the US and Europe every where is getting violent so you have just be cautions and be smart. Like I said you are free to go and find your self a better place to live I know I will stay here till the end no matter what happens because costa rica is my home now.
  - thismachinekillsfascists
    Shameless of you to drop the blame on Mexicans and Columbians. I love Costa Rica but how you always blame other countries for your bad education and behaviour is shameless.
    - Rolman80 80
      But is the truth the stats prove it mexican and colombian had visa requirements to enter the country since those requirement were remove the violence exploted and is not only happening here but in the entire continent from Bolivia to the USA.
      - Ken Morris
        Two things may be getting confused: Mexicans and Colombians as people, and the drug cartels from their countries arriving in Costa Rica.
        I don’t know any Mexicans in Costa Rica, but I know various Colombians, and consider them solid people. The people shouldn’t be equated with the drug cartels, although the entry of the drug cartels (which do for the most part have their imputus in the US) is a problem.
    - James Dyde
      Thank you for posting this. A huge part of the problem here in Costa Rica is the fact that many Ticos blame everything on Colombians or Mexicans or Nicas or whoever. I love CR too, but until the Ticos start to own their problems things won’t get better.
    - Andrew
      Q: What does a Tico scream when he busts a wheel rim on a pothole?
      A : “Fuckin’ Nica!”
    - PY
      Like there’s a difference between these shitskins.
  - Andrew
    No junkies in Costa Rica? LOL
- Anthony
  Go to Yahoo news. The comments are totally against going to Costa Rica. CR needs damage control.
  - Chris Thomas
    People should boycott CR, country is like a calm ocean with millions of deadly elements underneath the surface, the CR government will only investigate crimes when they can benefit from it monetarily or image wise.
    - Rolman80 80
      You are right but with increasing hositly for americans from muslins and other groups around the planet you have less and less places to go the best is to stay in your land if you are not savy enough to travel. Costa Rica is having some hard times people keep getting lay off things are geting more expensive more taxes higher energy cost and many people are selling drugs and all of this is feeding into this violence that is going to get worst but you can still travel with a high degree of caution but this is happening all over this planet because we have a broken planet enveriomentaly social politicaly economically. YOu can see this from all the places having wars and conflicts including in the western countries.
      - Banana Republican
        You must learn to spell, Ben. The stupid act is getting old.
      - Canamjay
        and an insulting repugnickan such as yourself picks that up right away… contrary to your uneducated observations, not everyone has English as their first language…how’s YOUR spelling in Spanish? Yeah, thought so. And your empathy? Got it.
Fernando Gerdano
Guy will released asap, crime of passion or he was attacked blah blah and will back home living with his mother, robbing and being the scum he is in no time. Pura vida.
Ken Morris
Let’s wait until we know more facts before we rush to judgment about this crime, much less entire countries and ethnic groups.
Right now it looks like a young Latino (probably Tico, since usually a Latino of other origins is identified as such) brutally murdered an older gringa lover simply to steal her credit card and a few other things.
However, we really don’t whether this is all there is to the incident, and frankly it’s not uncommon in these older gringo/younger Latino hook ups in hourly motels for the gringo to be a pretty bad apple. I’m not saying that this woman was, only that until we know what really happened and why, we should probably reserve judgment.
Also, hand it to Costa Rica’s law enforcement: They arrested the suspect pretty quickly.
So far I see nothing awry with how Costa Rica is handling this.
- Chris Thomas
  They are handling quickly because of their own serving purposes not hers, this has drawn some publicity because #1 Woman victim #2 She was tied to a known charity and draws attention to CR image, they only rush to solve crimes when it serves their purposes or it hurts the country’s image, the victim and justice is the last thing of their mind.
  - Ken Morris
    Plausible, but you’d have to be a mind reader to know this. I myself can’t read minds.
    - Chris Thomas
      Look at stats and history of this country handling crimes against foreigners, they bury everything under the carpet and the kicker is some murders go unreported or rules as suicides, do you remember the Gringo killed in Tamarindo last year or the one by the volcano Poas who had his throat cut, unsolved mysteries put away in the dead file case not cold file closed file, I can go on and on 30 years of living in CR I have seen a lot of injustice.
      - Rolman80 80
        But this happens to the local population for the most part I can go on give billions or reason about injustice in the US as I live in the US for 18 years look at all the cops killing blacks latinos and even whites like worthless dogs and the cops go free PLEASE is white america justice system dude you act as if you are some innocent harmless people. You country by far beats us in death penalty cases of people wrongly convicted so you gona lay down your own version of things. I dont want justify all this crimes to tourist because this hurt our tourism and that is bad for the image of the country and for the poor people who suffer such things but you gringos are far worst tan us.
      - gc
        billions eh? lol.
      - Ken Morris
        If you have stats suggesting that CR handles crime investigations and prosectutions poorly when gringos are the victims, please post them. I have searched and been unable to find any.
        Remember, crimes against Ticos and non-gringo foreigners don’t have a great clearance or conviction rate either. I find it difficult to believe that gringo victims receive worse treatment, and wouldn’t be surprised if they receive better treatment, largely for the reason you allege, namely that crimes against gringos are bad for tourism. However, if the stats tell a different story, I’d like to see them.
        BTW, just winging it, it seems that this case resulted in a quick arrest frankly because it was so easy. The guy was known to the hotel staff, had an ongoing relationship with the victim, an argument between him and the victim was overheard the morning she was found dead, he was on surveillance video, and he even used her stolen credit card to buy stuff afterward. Barney Fife could have solved this case.
        By contrast, again just winging it from what I read in the newspaper, neither the Tamarindo nor Poas cases seem anywhere near as easy to solve, since nobody has any idea who the suspects are. Not saying that there shouldn’t have been more investigative work put into solving them, only that the investigators appear to have tried only to come up empty-handed. Not sure how many resources should be put into wild goose chases when there are a lot of other cases deserving attention too.
- Andrew
  You might want to get your facts straight:
  1. Place was not an hourly motel.
  2. Victim was clearly not a “bad apple”.
  3. Punk robbed her in a jealous rage. He didn’t allow her to talk to other people. How very mature and rational of him.
  4. Robbed her only after he slaughtered his “golden goose”.
  5. Punk figured no more nice meals, wine and hotel rooms. I’m gonna get me an I-phone 6 and a play station.
  6. This Tico punk literally “killed the cow”.
  - Ken Morris
    Don’t lecture me about facts, cowboy, when the whole point of my post was to say that we then didn’t know the facts. Good grief.
    Regarding your privileged access to facts:
    1. It has been reported elsewhere that the motel does rent rooms by the hour. Maybe the reporting was wrong (not unusual) but I’ve never stayed there and wouldn’t know. Have you?
    2. How do you know that the victim was “clearly” not a bad apple? Are you Saint Peter? At minimum she appears to have used poor judgment to (according to press accounts) have strung along the kid for two years, lavished him with gifts, and flown him to the US only to ultimately insist that for her it was only a casual fling. He wouldn’t be the first “punk” to become confused by these mixed messages.
    3. Yep, he appears to have been immature and machista–hardly an unusual combination in Costa Rica. Did I mention that the victim (or shall we call her the “slut” since we’re calling him a “punk”?) used poor judgment?
    4-6. Yep, the “punk” killed the “cow,” “goose,” or whatever you want to call her, but I for one have to wonder whether cows or geese or whatever are completely innocent when they buy what they want at the expense of others’ feelings.
    Bottom line is that we don’t know what went on or why. If she wanted to end it, why did she spend the night with him? What was the argument about? If he was going to kill and rob her, why did he wait two years to do it?
    Look, I’ve got nothing against the lady, and by all appearances she was a generally good person who got mixed up with the wrong kid, and suffered consequences from that nobody deserves. But this killing does have all the earmarks of a crime of passion in which she was part of the passion–or at least a purchaser of it.
    - Andrew
      “Cowboy”?
      Who is cowboy?
      Think you have me confused with someone else.
      Good luck.
    - PY
      Just shut your hole you dumb fucking monkey. Defending a rapist and murderer. Your karma is having the samething happen to you. You’d probably enjoy the rape part though. Heck you’re probably in Costa Rica for the child prostitutes. You have that look about you, you piece of shit.
    - Karla Johnson Soyring
      I don’t know you and by all you’ve said..I wouldn’t want to!!! One thing I do know is that her mother and father and only brother are devasted by the nightmares in their mind of how their only daughter and only sibling lived her last moments of life!! I know them and they most certainly are a very good family..and here she was in a country trying to raise money to get medical and dental help for the children there….a woman helping many…murdered for what?? A credit card?? I hope he rots in hell!!!
    - Andrew
      “generally a good person”?
      Seriously, what is wrong with you?
      Please tell us all what you do to make the world a better place.
      Go ahead and list the charitable organizations that you selflessly give your time and money to.
      Better yet, what is the name of the organization that you founded to help underprivileged Ticos access better medical and dental care.
      I’ll send a check today!
  - Dana
    I am the hotel owner and guess what, in the 4.5 years I have owned it, I have never rented rooms by the hour. It is not an hourly hotel. This was Sondra’s not first time at the hotel with her boyfriend. The staff and I are saddened and shocked by her murder, but the press does not print things like that, it thrives on sensationalism.
    Perhaps it is time to show a little respect to her family. No mention of what she was currently doing with her charity work, just pictures of her in a bikini.
    - http://insidecostarica.com/ Timothy Williams
      Hi Dana, I am the editor here at ICR News, and I assume you must be speaking about other news outlets. We have never posted a single photo of Sondra in a bikini; we mention her charity work in every story, usually in the first sentence or paragraph; and we have never once stated that your hotel rents rooms by the hour or that it is some sort of “swingers’” hotel. As well, we have never, in any way, even implied that the victim is to blame. That has come from other media outlets, not here at ICR. Those who read ICR on a regular basis have come to know us, in fact, for being extremely impartial to the news we report.
      Thank you for comment, and please feel free to drop us a line privately at [email protected] .
- Chris Thomas
  One thing about your comment is of course cops arrested the guy fast because of the publicity it shines on the country but let’s see how many years the guy gets, this is far from over if you know CR law and Spanish law there is no jury everything is based on the evidence collected and what one man decides, this guy could easily be charged with theft but not murder, the circus will begin soon, in CR lawyers and judges make up the laws on convenience and as they go along, no double jeopardy law in CR.
  The legal system is a circus a huge joke, no jury either. I think they will convict him to 8 years probably because if not it will hurt tourism and pockets of the corrupt politicians, no body in the justice system gives a rat’s ass about this lady’s murder is more of an inconvenience to them, but if there is a way to profit from it they will find it.
  If this was a politician’s kid or one of the CR ruling family’s kid they would spend millions of dollars and resources to find the killer no doubt.
- PY
  I was waiting for the punchline but you’re actually fucking serious… What kind of dumb fucking cunt are you? Worthless retarded, old bitch boy.
  I hope spic boyfriend gives you AIDS you piece of shit. You belong with these fucking savages. Fuck you and fuck Costa Rica. Third world shithole full of dirty animals.
Roger K
Can we say that is such a horrible way to die & if it was a male that he is an absolute coward!
SDPUS
Corruption can take many faces. The problem in Costa Rica is that corruption is deep seated in every institution. It has taken over as a way of life that most all take part in. That is not a healthy or sustainable way of life, unless of course, you were born into one of the ruling families. When the top is corrupt, you can bet that corruption will go down every run of the ladder. Good leadership at the top can change that perception, but that takes imprisoning affluent wrong doers. Corruption is like cancer. If it is left unchecked it will burrow itself all throughout the system, eventually resulting in death. The leadership of Costa Rica has some serious decisions to make. They have hit the tipping point.
duke ster
Watch this video—”Died-athiest-went to Hell”
https://youtu.be/59mRZ1Vj8ZU Where will you go when you die? Many plan for a trip to Cr but never plan for the ultimate trip-why? This woman didn’t plan on dying in that Hotel room–I believe she wishes she had another hour to come back and accept Christ and go to Heaven .
duke ster
This man is an upscale Physician-he died and came back
https://youtu.be/q3adbayvKWA
Lee Ann
She was not a bad apple Ken. She was not a bad person because she had a boyfriend. She was my friend and she was a lovely woman. You don’t know her so don’t judge. She sadly got tangled up with the wrong guy.
My heart is truly broken.
- Ken Morris
  Sorry for your broken heart, but note that in the post of mine to which you replied, I did NOT judge her. I was only calling for calm when others were leaping to judgment against the entire damn country.
  As things have evolved, I have suggested that she might be judged negatively, but only as a counter to the know-it-alls with chips on their shoulders who want to paint this as black v. white, when they don’t know any more than I do.
  Sounds like, yeah, she just got tangled up with the seriously wrong guy, while otherwise being an outstanding woman.
Andrew
I just googled “Florida woman found murdered in Costa Rican hotel”: 10 and a half pages of stories from news outlets from Maine to California with a couple British tabloids to boot. Can’t really blame this one on boozed up college girls who picked up the wrong guy(s) after a night out clubbing in Puerto Viejo or Golfito. I imagine that tourism officials are collectively shitting their pants about now. I doubt they give a damn that two teenagers lost their mother. Good luck spinning this one in an effort to save the almighty tourism dollar!
- Ken Morris
  Yep, the English-speaking world goes nuts about stories like this. Did you read this one?:
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3358330/Boy-toy-lover-murdered-American-aid-worker-stabbing-15-times-frenzied-attack-ended-casual-relationship.html
Chris Thomas
Woman used bad judgement and she payed with her life that does not make her a bad person. For all of you who defend this CR government and sewer system is because you have been drinking too much kool aid or are dumb blind sheep,CR justice system is a sewer driven by money, This is the way Ticos judge people if you have money you are cool and if you do not you are garbage, hungry piranhas for cash.
Foreigners who defend CR and turn a blind eye is because they have money invested in this country so they ride the publicity stunt and propaganda of Pura Vida which is a lie. All of my 30 years of living in CR I had to have my guard up all the time and that is no way to live at all, the minute you let your guard down the criminals attack.
Lying and stealing is normal in CR part of life, when people take something from you they do not look at it like stealing but their’s God given right to do it period. The place is a sewer plain and simple.
- Buffalo Bill
  For a second I thought I had written this- almost exactly my feelings
Chris Thomas
On the other hand I can also tell you that alot of European and American women flock to Puerto Viejo to hook up with this druggie criminals and then afterwards they complain when something bad happens to them, it always seem like they come to CR not too look for the nice guys but the bad boys so you get what you wish for, this woman probably saw the signs but ignored them, RIP
Andrew
So easy (and ignorant) to blame the victim.
- Chris Thomas
  Obviously you have not been reading the posts no one blames the victim the guy should be on death row, she was too trusting is an obvious fact she gave the guy the benefit of the doubt and he took advantage of it, however I am sure she saw some signs about this thug and he probably coned her into. CR can be dangerous if I go into the middle east into ISIS country then I have a good chance of getting my head cut off, we are responsible for our actions as adults. I am sure this lady had a big heart and trusted too much.

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Suspect arrested in brutal murder of US charity founder, Sondra Lynn Elizondo in Costa Rica

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