Despite sitting ducks, some bandits adopt creative methods
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Businesses always have been sitting ducks for robbers.
As long as there have been liquor stores, there have been crooks to rob them. The same is true with taxi drivers. Only a few are using the protective shields that are standard in other countries.
Four bandits held up a liquor store in Los Cuadros, Goicoechea, Saturday night, and three men killed a taxi driver early Sunday in Desamparados.
But the crooks are branching out. Home invasions appear to be up, according to informal reports. So are business invasions.
Enterprising crooks have found that they can rob a restaurant and take the money and wallets from the customers, too. That happened at Rock 'N Roll Pollo in Santa Ana two weeks ago, according to Roy Chavarría, head of the Fuerza Pública delegación there. He said four persons entered about midnight and by the time police arrived they had fled after robbing the customers, too.
Informal reports say that a bar on Avenida 9 in San José was the scene of similar activity over the weekend, except that bandits wounded the operator. An establishment that caters to tourists nearby on the same street was a target more than a week ago.
Bandits did not fare well in Los Cuadros at the El Pueblo liquor store this weekend. The store owner engaged them in a firefight, and two intruders are believed to have been killed. A third suffered bullet wounds As did the operator.
Chavarria in Santa Ana said that geography plays a role. That community is near Alajuelita and Pavas, both areas that have more than their fair share of criminals. Chavarria estimated that his officers respond to from 30 to 40 robberies a month in just Santa Ana.
Customers are getting nervous, too. A false report circulating on the Internet claimed that bandits held up Bacchus restaurant. Chavarria said that what happened Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. was that men in a car fired shots at the restaurant guard and wounded him twice. Police believe the motive for the attack was to take the firearm of the private security guard. Locals may have confused this case with that of Rock 'n Roll Pollo, which is nearby.
An informal report from the Pacific coast gives accounts of two home invasions there that were not confirmed by police. The reader cited cases in Nosara and Nosara over the last two weeks.
Police have confirmed some home invasions along the Pacific coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. A Dutch expat, 85, who lived in Costa Rica for 20 years died in San Martín de Santa Teresa de Cóbano Wednesday when bandits invaded his home and shot him.
Another report said that some invasions took place in Sámara this month.
Home invasions are not difficult technically. Sometimes crooks wait until an occupant drives up and opens the gate to the dwelling's parking area. Other times they use a car jack or other device to simply break the lock on the porton. Others take their cue from Fuerza Pública officers who frequently are seen on television conducting a raid. They attach a chain to a front gate, rip it from its hinges and then use a battering ram to quickly break down other gates and doors.
Bars and restaurants are particularly vulnerable because they want people to enter. And one security worker can be overpowered by a bandit who gets the drop on him.
Óscar Arias Sánchez promised rapid action on crime as part of his election platform. The administration seems more intent on reducing legal gun ownership. A proposal to do that has been promised to the legislature this week.
Other measures have been bogged down by lack of resource or mixed views on how wiretapping should be done.
Citizens are beginning to look to the February 2010 presidential elections with the hope that a candidate tough on crime will emerge.
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Businesses always have been sitting ducks for robbers.
As long as there have been liquor stores, there have been crooks to rob them. The same is true with taxi drivers. Only a few are using the protective shields that are standard in other countries.
Four bandits held up a liquor store in Los Cuadros, Goicoechea, Saturday night, and three men killed a taxi driver early Sunday in Desamparados.
But the crooks are branching out. Home invasions appear to be up, according to informal reports. So are business invasions.
Enterprising crooks have found that they can rob a restaurant and take the money and wallets from the customers, too. That happened at Rock 'N Roll Pollo in Santa Ana two weeks ago, according to Roy Chavarría, head of the Fuerza Pública delegación there. He said four persons entered about midnight and by the time police arrived they had fled after robbing the customers, too.
Informal reports say that a bar on Avenida 9 in San José was the scene of similar activity over the weekend, except that bandits wounded the operator. An establishment that caters to tourists nearby on the same street was a target more than a week ago.
Bandits did not fare well in Los Cuadros at the El Pueblo liquor store this weekend. The store owner engaged them in a firefight, and two intruders are believed to have been killed. A third suffered bullet wounds As did the operator.
Chavarria in Santa Ana said that geography plays a role. That community is near Alajuelita and Pavas, both areas that have more than their fair share of criminals. Chavarria estimated that his officers respond to from 30 to 40 robberies a month in just Santa Ana.
Customers are getting nervous, too. A false report circulating on the Internet claimed that bandits held up Bacchus restaurant. Chavarria said that what happened Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. was that men in a car fired shots at the restaurant guard and wounded him twice. Police believe the motive for the attack was to take the firearm of the private security guard. Locals may have confused this case with that of Rock 'n Roll Pollo, which is nearby.
An informal report from the Pacific coast gives accounts of two home invasions there that were not confirmed by police. The reader cited cases in Nosara and Nosara over the last two weeks.
Police have confirmed some home invasions along the Pacific coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. A Dutch expat, 85, who lived in Costa Rica for 20 years died in San Martín de Santa Teresa de Cóbano Wednesday when bandits invaded his home and shot him.
Another report said that some invasions took place in Sámara this month.
Home invasions are not difficult technically. Sometimes crooks wait until an occupant drives up and opens the gate to the dwelling's parking area. Other times they use a car jack or other device to simply break the lock on the porton. Others take their cue from Fuerza Pública officers who frequently are seen on television conducting a raid. They attach a chain to a front gate, rip it from its hinges and then use a battering ram to quickly break down other gates and doors.
Bars and restaurants are particularly vulnerable because they want people to enter. And one security worker can be overpowered by a bandit who gets the drop on him.
Óscar Arias Sánchez promised rapid action on crime as part of his election platform. The administration seems more intent on reducing legal gun ownership. A proposal to do that has been promised to the legislature this week.
Other measures have been bogged down by lack of resource or mixed views on how wiretapping should be done.
Citizens are beginning to look to the February 2010 presidential elections with the hope that a candidate tough on crime will emerge.
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