Three police officers suspected of homicide arrested
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Agents of the Judicial Investigation Organization arrested police officers Friday. One surnamed Monestel-Alvarado, two surnamed Ulate-Pineda, and a fourth suspect, who is not a police officer, surnamed Rocha-Soto. The four men are suspected of the murder of a man named Marin.
According to the police report, the investigation began on August 28th, when the body of the victim was found in the community of Santa Rosa de Pocosol* in the province of Alajuela.
On the day of the murder, several men in a black car abducted the victim. Two days after that, the victim was found dead with a gunshot to the head, said the police report.
On Friday, with authorization from the Prosecutor's office, five raids took place at the four homes of the suspects. One raid took place in the community of Los Chiles*, where three of the suspects worked.
According to a report from judicial agents, the motivation for the murder was robbery. The victim was the owner of a store and also exchanged money for foreign currencies," said the Prosecutor in its report.
"Apparently, on the day of the murder, the four suspects contacted the victim asking him to exchange money. Once they approached him, they put him in the car where they killed him by shooting him" said the Prosecutor's report.
According to the Prosecutor's report, after stealing Marins money they threw his body into an empty lot.
"After testing with Luminol using a specialized dog from the Canine Unit, traces of blood were found inside the car," said the Prosecutor's report.
Forensic investigators use Luminol to detect trace amounts of blood at crime scenes. Biologists use it in cellular assays to detect copper, iron, cyanides, as well as specific proteins.
The four suspects were taken to the jail of the Public Ministry in San Carlos, where they were interrogated by judicial agents. They must wait until a judge orders pre-trial measures against them.
--------------------------------- Should the judge order pre-trial prison for the suspects due to the seriousness of the case? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com
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