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Armed men in ski masks invade home in Escazu

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January 7th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) Four armed men wearing ski masks invaded a home in San Rafael de Escazu and robbed the occupants at gunpoint.  The incident took place around 6:30 p.m. Monday night.

 

The men apparently entered the home through the garage.

 

Once inside, the men forced one person to take them to the safe, from which they stole three thousand euros, eight hundred dollars, a bracelet valued at $7,000 and a 9mm handgun.

 

The bandits were able to flee, after which the occupants notified authorities.

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  • SarongGoddess

    CR NEEDS to make MASKS ILLEGAL!! There is NO reason for ANYONE but cops to have a mask here & they are ONLY used for ILLEGAL PURPOSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    This is the 3rd crime I’ve heard against an ExPat where their gun was STOLEN!!!!!

    SERIOUSLY consider having a fake 2nd safe in your home – one with maybe a few hundred dollars & some jewelry it’s no biggie if it’s stolen & some bogus papers that IF you were home invasioned, you could give them SOMETHING without giving your good stuff away & chances are less that they’ll do much harm to you than if you gave them nothing.

    PERSONALLY, I’d put as MUCH as possible that you’re not using in a BANK SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX!!

    NOTE: This is just one of the ones that were REPORTED!! MANY people are having these & other such crimes against them & NOT reporting them these days – in part because of fear because it’s not unusual for the banditos to come back &/or seek retaliation – & BIG TIME because it’s MEGA RARE for anyone to get caught let alone prosecuted, let alone spend any time in jail!!!!

    It’s CRUCIAL if you have a crime happen against you TO report it to the OIJ (the Organismo de Investigación Judicial [pronounced “O-E-ho-tah”] – Costa Rica’s version of the FBI) AND your Embassy – especially if there’s any hope that they’ll see patterns & try to help in what limited way they can.

    • sloth1

      Good ideas “Sarong Goddess ” …. or at least have your weapon hidden where it can be accessible , away from valuables. That’s assuming you have some proficiency knowing how to use it and how to regulate your mental state in times of threat. As far as the masks ,bad people can get their hands on anything they want.,masks, guns ,etc.

      Sooner or later Costa Rica will have to have more stringent laws or lose what is left of it’s stability. Hopefully the next President will step up to the plate and really address the rapidly growing crime problem here ?

    • Rochard

      First of all, this isn’t an expat house. The spanish papers said the homeowner is named “Alpirez”, so that does not sound foreign.

      Secondly, what idiot leaves a gun in a safe?

      Guns are useless and in fact a hazard if they aren’t within arms reach at all times and you are not properly trained to use them.

      Banning masks isn’t going to do anything… gotta learn how to defend yourself properly and take the proper security precautions or move back to Kansas.

    • morlaine

      I had an armed home invasion a few years ago. A gun was held to my temple the entire time, I guess they didn’t think the duct tape on my wrists, ankles, and over my mouth was sufficient. I reported it to OIJ. OMG, what a joke the OIJ is. That was wasted hours of my life that I will never get back. A person at the Embassy said I should report it to them although they admitted they can’t do anything. So I should waste more hours of my life? I now sleep with a gun under my pillow. It won’t happen again. Welcome to the charm of Costa Rica.

      • john anthony

        My liqueur store got robbed, and nothing was done except reports taken by the O.I.J. Even with people who witnessed and recognized the robbers,, and the description of the car used, still no arrests have been made. This is why many have not bothered to report the home invasions.
        Then again, what would have happened if they got caught?
        And, I also found out where the liqueur got sold. Still had my price tags on some bottles that were bought from there. Still nothing
        Yup, a waste of time

        • morlaine

          After my home invasion I did my own detective work since it was obviously beyond the capabilities of OIJ and I got the directions to where my stuff was hidden. Gave it to the OIJ because I didn’t want to be guilty of murder while getting my stuff back. OIJ did absolutely, repeat absolutely nothing.

    • http://www.facebook.com/fhuh.kew Fhuh Kew

      Bring on the death penalty and get rid of that Satanic ” Church”.

    • Frank Castle

      So, Costa Rica should ban masks? How silly. Think of all of the celebrations and fiestas where masks are used. It will never happen.

      This was an inside job since they “knew” there was a safe. Household help tipped these landrones off, I’ll bet. Two safes is a good idea but don’t ever put your gun in the safe. Keep it on your person in an IWB holster so when surprised, you can draw on the perps.

      • SarongGoddess

        Sorry about the confusion (I could see why you’d say what ya did!), I meant to say SKI Masks need to be banned (& later changed it on my blog)!!

  • Andrew

    Find ‘em. Give ‘em a fair trial, and lock ‘em up.
    Then next year, during the first day of Zapote, take them out to the middle of the Toros’ Rondel and shoot them all in the head. Then let the dumb ass ticos in the rondel try to avoid the stiffs and the toros!
    No, I’m not an executive at Canal 6 but I do foresee a spike in ratings……

  • Anthony

    That’s why I live in SJO Centro, Escazu is a high crime area, many foreigners with the perception of having a lot of money.
    Like Willie Sutton supposedly replied when asked why he robbed banks, “Because that’s where the money is.”

    • Rochard

      Agree with this. Everybody thinks Escazu is safe, but its gotta be the Costa Rican capital of home invasions. Its not only where the money is, its where the gringos are who are sitting ducks.

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