Carla Stefaniak’s father went to the Forensic Sciences Complex of the Judiciary to try and identify the body that, according to authorities, might be his daughter. However, he wasn’t able to do so.
Carlos Caicedo, father of the 36-year-old Venezuelan-American woman, claimed before the press that judicial authorities did not allow him to see the body.
He was in the judicial facilities on Tuesday morning. He filled out documents and provided samples for DNA tests. Then, he indicated he would return later to try to visually identify the body found on Monday in a land adjacent to the hotel where Stefaniak had stayed.
At 4:40 pm Carla’s father returned to the site. He did so after the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) published a video confirming the high probability that the remains found belonged to the missing woman and also confirming the arrest of a hotel security guard as the main suspect: a 32-year-old Nicaraguan, identified as Espinoza Martínez, who entered the country illegally months ago.
According to the OIJ, the victim was wounded with a knife in the neck and upper extremities. She also received a blunt force trauma to the head.
The first investigations confirmed there were contradictions in the statements given by Espinoza.
Stefaniak came to Costa Rica on November 22nd and was scheduled to return to the United States on the 28th. She traveled to the country to celebrate her birthday with her sister-in-law, who returned to the United States on November 27th due to previously set obligations.
The foreigner left her sister-in-law that day at the Juan Santamaría international airport and then delivered the rental vehicle they both had used to move around the country. After that, the tourist stayed at an Airbnb located in Escazú to spend her last hours in the country.
While in the country, Stefaniak visited Manuel Antonio (Quepos) and La Fortuna de San Carlos, among other places.