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NEED TO KNOW
- Surfer and hotel owner Kurt Van Dyke, 66, was killed during what authorities believe was a robbery at his home in Costa Rica
- The Judicial Investigation Agency alleged at least two armed men entered the residence, bound Van Dyke's girlfriend and stole valuables
- Officials said Van Dyke was found beneath a bed with a sheet over his head. No arrests have been announced
Kurt Van Dyke, a 66-year-old California native from a prominent surfing family, was killed in what authorities believe was a robbery at his home in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency, known as the OIJ, received a report Saturday morning about a homicide in Hone Creek, in the Cahuita area of Limón province, according to Costa Rican outlets CRHoy, La Nación and Teletica, which cited an official preliminary release from the agency.
According to the release, as reported by the three outlets, Van Dyke was inside the residence with his girlfriend when at least two armed men allegedly entered, threatened them with a firearm and held them in a room for several minutes before stealing valuables. Investigators believe the suspects then killed Van Dyke and fled.
The preliminary cause of death was asphyxiation, and his body also showed multiple stab wounds, according to CRHoy, La Nación and Teletica, citing the OIJ release. The release stated that the body would be sent to the Judicial Morgue for further examination.
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A preliminary report from Costa Rica’s Fuerza Pública, cited by CRHoy and La Nación, stated that Van Dyke was found beneath a bed with a sheet over his head and a knife beside him.
Van Dyke’s girlfriend survived the attack and was not seriously injured — she told authorities she had been showering when the suspects entered the home and that she was bound before they fled, according to CRHoy and La Nación. Security footage showed two vehicles leaving the scene, the outlets reported.
No arrests have been announced and the investigation remains ongoing.
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Van Dyke had lived in Costa Rica’s Caribbean region for decades and owned Hotel Puerto Viejo in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Known among surfers as “King,” he became a respected figure in the local surf community, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“My brother was a very benevolent, giving person who would help just about anybody,” his brother, Peter Van Dyke, told the Chronicle. “Kurt would never hurt anybody, and he was always there when you needed him.”
Roger Sams, president of the Southern Caribbean Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, told La Nación that the killing could impact the region’s image.
“Evidently this will affect our image,” Sams said, adding that the case appeared to be isolated and unrelated to tourists.
Read the original article on People
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