QCOSTARICA – A former Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) agent, retired at 33, was arrested yesterday suspected of leading a band of thieves to have committed at least 11 robberies.
The former agent, who is now 47, identified only by his last name – Alpizar, was arrested along with six others during a raid on a house in San Bosco area of Cuidad Colón, west of San José.
According to the official report, Alpizar and his gang are being charged with aggravated robbery and theft committed between August and December 2014, hitting various retail stores in San Ramon, Heredia, Grecia, Cuidad Colon, Cartago and downtown San Jose.
The thefts were committed in the late evenings and early mornings on weekends, the gang is said to have taken some ¢110 million colones (US$200.000 dollars) in merchandise.
The story of Alpizar’s days as a cop go back to May 2000 when he was retired from the judicial police body following a psychiatric evaluation. The agent, who worked at the Puriscal office, had been violent towards the local prosecutor, among other acts, forcing higher-ups to divest him of his regulation weapon and ordering a psychiatric evaluation. On September 14, 2000, after 11 years with the police body, he was retired with a ¢80.918 colones pension.
Source: La Nacion
