-Published: Monday, January 13, 2020-




By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Judicial agents in Jacó Beach, Puntarenas have arrested a 32-years old Costa Rican woman as a suspect in the murder of a 55-years-old U.S. citizen, surnamed Neu. The suspect has the surnamed Espinoza-Orozco.

According to the agents' report, the case began in October 2019, when Neu's body was found, inside condominium in Jacó Beach.

"According to the report issued by forensic pathology, this man died of suffocation, and several wounds by a knife in his body," said the agents.

According to the case file, the result of the investigation was "obtained by reliable evidence that points to this woman as the main suspect in the murder," and who was also the victim's girlfriend.

According to the agents, the motive for the crime was a personal problem between the suspect and the victim.

The suspect was jailed Saturday at the Public Ministry cells, where she was interrogated by the judicial agents. After that, she must face a judge who will consider pre-trial measures. The Public Ministry is expected to report today on the measures imposed against the suspect.


A similar case in which a woman killed a U.S. citizen happened in 2018. In that case, the victim was murdered by two Costa Ricans.

According to the Prosecutor's Office report, the murder happened in July 2018, when a 70-year-old U.S. citizen surnamed Nearhoff invited a woman surnamed Jiménez-Esquivel to his home in Grecia, Alajuela Province.

When Nearhoff and the women were in the home, she managed to contacted a man surnamed Montoya-Acosta, who arrived at Nearhoff's home later that night, prosecutors said.

According to authorities, both Jiménez-Esquivel and Montoya-Acosta beat Nearhoff to end his life. Then they robbed the victim's belongings.

Police found the victim died of injuries that included stab wounds. "The man was gagged, and his hands and feet were tied," said the police at the time.

The body was found due to a strong odor detected by the neighborhoods, who called to the Red Cross, police said.

In November 2018, both Jiménez-Esquivel and Montoya-Acosta were detained by the Judicial Investigation Organization agents as suspects of the murder.

Last October, the Prosecutor's Office confirmed that a criminal court ordered 30 years in prison for both, Montoya-Acosta and Jiménez-Esquivel. They were found guilty of the murder of Nearhoff.

The judicial agents called on the population to report any suspicion attack of tourists to the confidential line 800-8000-645 where there are bilinguals agents who can answer calls in English or Spanish.

 
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