Police Rescue Kidnapped Girl
In the early hours of yesterday morning, police located and rescued an 11 year old girl that had gone missing since last week. The girl was located in a house in Calle Vargas, Tambor de Alajuela, eight days after he disappearance from Cot de Oreamuno in Cartago.

The young girl didn't appear to have been sexually assaulted or harmed in any way, however, she was taken to the Medical Forensic centre to determine possible psychological and sexual abuses.

A 48 year old man, Juan Rafael Alvarado Alvarado, was arrested and asked that be be locked up.

Police said the young girl fled with Alvardo last Saturday, though it is not known where the man took the girl or they spend all this time, though some resident of Cot recall seeing them in various part of town in Cartago.

On Wednesday, Alvarado arrived at the house of his son in law in Alajuela, according to testimony given to police by Ricardo Meléndez who is married to Alvarado's daughter.

On Thursday, police received a tip about a man with young girl by neighbours of Calle Vargas. The man fled with the young girl into the area's coffee fields when he saw police approaching. On Friday, the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) took over the investigation and brought in dogs to track the man's movements, but came up empty handed.

Alavarado re-appeared at his son in law's home around 3:30am on Saturday morning. Meléndez in his statement to police says he sent one of his sons to a neighbour's house to call police.

Alvardo denied to police of having sexually abused the girl. "I did not touch her. The girl wanted to leave home. I ask for forgiveness for having taken the minor. I was going to bring her back, but I was afraid that they would hurt me:", were the words of the man in his statement to police.

Alvarado is being charged with kidnapping for now which carries a two to four year sentence, but increase to 12 years because the girl is under the age of 12.