A married couple, using the ‘pinchonazo’ method – puncturing a tire that uninflated slowly – was arrested on Saturday for assaulting Canadian tourists.
According to authorities, the couple, he a Colombian national identified by his last name Caicedo and the wife, a Costa Rican identified by her last name Centeno, would scout car rental agencies for their intended suspects and the would offer help when their mark had the flat tire.
While the woman would offer her assistance, the husband would take advantage of the situation and would remove valuables from their victim’s vehicle.
Such was the case on Saturday, their victims a Canadian couple who had just left the car rental agency on Paseo Colon.
The arrest by Officers of the Department of Police intelligence, tourist police and Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) took place around 4 p.m., in La Uruca, after a chase that began in La Sabana.
Oficiales del Departamento de Inteligencia Policial, Policía Turística y OIJ detienen a pareja sospechosa de realizar pinchonazos. pic.twitter.com/nr512vka2P
— Seguridad Pública (@seguridadcrc) August 11, 2018
Among the items stolen from the Canadian tourists on Saturday was medication that could only be obtained in Canada, US$1,000 in cash, photographic equipment, and a tablet.
Both Caicedo and Centeno had been arrested, in February, on similar crimes. The director of the OIJ at that time, Walter Espinoza, said the couple “never used weapons, they acted in a very courteous manner, which allowed them to approach the victims with ease.”
