Particle.news
Download on the App Store

U.S. Surf Icon Kurt Van Dyke Killed in Costa Rica Home Invasion as Police Hunt Suspects

Authorities are reviewing security video alongside witness accounts to identify at least two suspects.

Overview

  • Van Dyke, 66, was found under a bed with a sheet over his face and showed signs of asphyxiation and multiple stab wounds, with the body sent to the forensic morgue.
  • Police received the report around 10:50 a.m. Saturday in the Cahuita/Hone Creek area, where two armed intruders allegedly held the couple for several minutes and stole valuables, including a 2013 Hyundai Elantra.
  • Security footage reportedly shows suspects fleeing in two vehicles, one of them the Elantra taken from the property.
  • The victim’s 31-year-old girlfriend, identified as Arroyo, told investigators she was zip-tied and assaulted during the robbery and survived with injuries not considered life‑threatening.
  • Costa Rica’s OIJ is leading the investigation with no arrests announced, local tourism leaders describe the case as isolated, and a brother has questioned whether the motive was solely robbery.