![]() ![]() Department of State has, for a number of years prior to 2018, issued opinions through its Bureau of Consular Affairs that in Costa Rica, "Violent crime, such as armed robbery and assault, is common." "A large organization with significant resources that's making billions of dollars can't make believe it's an ostrich and put its head in the sand and say I don't see any bad things," Gordon said. ![]() But there are multiple reports of guests who had bad experiences since 2013. The lawsuit states Airbnb and Villa Le Mas (also known as Villa Buena Vista) failed to perform any kind of background check on the security guard.Īccording to court records, Airbnb posted complimentary and positive reviews of the resort property and its hosts. The lawsuit alleges both companies could have done more to protect its guests. Yet, nevertheless, he was given his own apartment there on the grounds, an apartment that was coincidentally directly next to Carla's rented villa," said attorney Jeffrey "Jack" Gordon, who filed the lawsuit. Her body was discovered half-naked wrapped in plastic bags. The family of Carla Stefaniak is suing Airbnb and the resort where she stayed, Villa Le Mas, after her body was found last month in Costa Rica.Ī security guard who worked at the resort has been arrested for her murder. The official cause of death was a stab wound to the neck, authorities said.TAMPA, Fla. Stefaniak was also reportedly stabbed in the arms and suffered blunt trauma to the head. Police added that the crime was “sexually” motivated.Īuthorities said Espinosa Martinez originally told police he helped Stefaniak pack her luggage into a taxi at around 5 a.m. They added that Espinosa Martinez, a Nicaraguan native living in Costa Rica since June, is still considered a suspect and that the investigation is ongoing.Ģ8 but then changed his story, leading police to follow up. “The person detained for the homicide was near her, had chances to commit the act and became a suspect through all our investigation.” Espinoza said. Stefaniak’s family confirmed her death on Facebook. According to the page “Finding Carla”, set up when Stefaniak was still considered missing, her father identified her body on Wednesday night shortly before midnight. “Words cannot express the devastation within her family and friends. We want the world to know that we will never forget Carla. We will never forget the joy she brought into our lives, how much she made us laugh. The family said they will continue to post updates on the investigation and “continue asking questions about the involvement of others in Carla’s murder.” We will always be with her and we know she will always be with us. “We will make sure this case is not closed like many others in Costa Rica.” the family posted.įederico Jenkin, the attorney representing the owner of the Airbnb, released a statement to ABC Action News announcing they were cooperating with authorities and closing the villa as police continue their investigation. According to Jenkin, Villa Le Mas has been in operation since 2013 and received thousands of guests. “We are deeply saddened and devastated by the tragic events that occurred last week,” the statement said. The villa, still available to view on Trip Advisor, has mostly favorable reviews, but some called their stay a “nightmare” and “terrible.” While the investigation is ongoing, and since the focus of the owners is the comfort of our guests, the facility has been temporarily closed.” “The owners are fully cooperating with the authorities in the investigation and we hope that once the facts are determined, the perpetrator is brought to justice. The murder rate in the country of 4.9 million has been on the rise, with a record-high of 603 people killed in 2017, Bloomberg reported. That’s a 63% increase compared to 10 years ago.Īccording to the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Travel & Tourism Office, Costa Rica ranked 15th among international destinations for Americans, with more than 1 million visiting in 2017. However, tourism dipped in 2017 as the number of American visitors declined for the first time since 2009. “Crime is increasing in Costa Rica and U.S. citizens are frequent victims,” the U.S Embassy in Costa Rica said. citizens are encouraged to exercise a high level of caution and vigilance due to increasing levels of violent crime.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Security guard Bismark Espinosa Martinez, 32, was arrested in the slaying after he contradicted himself in statements to police, the department said Wednesday. Investigators said blood was found in his nearby apartment. ![]() “What happened to Carla is just unimaginable,” friend Bugra Demirel of Tallahassee said in a telephone interview. ![]()
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