This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000337 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/WHA, DS/IP/ITA, DS/DSS/OSAC, AND WHA/CEN; 
KINGSTON FOR COM AND RSO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CASC
SUBJECT: ARMED ROBBERY OF AMCIT 2/10/2006:  MORE THAN JUST 
OCCASIONAL CRIME IN SAN JOSE 
 
REF: SAN JOSE 327 
 
¶1.  (SBU)   On February 13, 2006 Post was informed of the 
fifth reported armed vehicle robbery (since December 2005) of 
individuals coming from the Juan Santamaria Airport in San 
Jose.  RSO believes that thieves are targeting cars from the 
airport and following them until they have reached an 
isolated spot to conduct their attack on a vehicle.  One of 
the most common criminal scams in Costa Rica is that of the 
"Good Samaritan" scam, where the assailants puncture/severely 
damage a rental car tire, then follow the vehicle until the 
tire blows out or the victim is forced to pull over. The 
"Good Samaritans" then offer to help change the tire of the 
potential victims, then steal key suitcases or a backpacks 
holding money, passports, and camera equipment.  It seems 
criminals may be coming up with different variations of this 
scam.  In some reports, a car pulls up next to the victims' 
vehicle and points to the tire, then the victim pulls over or 
the perpetrators block from the target vehicle from the 
front. In the past five incidents reported to the Consular 
Section since December 2005, guns have been used and some 
vehicles have been stolen, with three of the five incidents 
involving persons driving rental vehicles. The one common 
denominator is that all vehicles were departing the airport. 
This message focuses on the most recent incident of armed 
robbery reported to the Consulate, with one of the victims an 
AmCit just arriving in country on February 10, 2006. ARSO 
interviewed the victims of this robbery at the Embassy on 
February 13, 2006.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  On the morning of February 13, 2006, ARSO 
interviewed Josh Rosen (Victim - PROTECT).  Victim is an 
AmCit from New York who reported to ARSO that on Friday, 
February 10, 2006, he and his wife, a Costa Rican National 
and a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, had arrived from Newark, 
New Jersey at 2130 hours.  ROSEN and his wife were picked up 
from the Juan Santamaria Airport by his Mother in-law and 
Wife's Grandmother.  While exiting on a ramp, a car from 
behind sped past them and stopped short to cut them off from 
the front.  At this point, the Mother in-law, driving a 
Susuki Sidekick, tried to put the vehicle in reverse with 
negative results. Three men exited the blocking vehicle and 
approached the target vehicle wearing ski masks and 
displaying guns. The victims were told to exit the vehicle; 
as they did, one man lifted the hood of the vehicle to make 
it look as if the vehicle had broken down.  The victims 
reported that two other vehicles drove by as they were being 
robbed.  The assailants took out all of the luggage in the 
vehicle, which was visible through the vehicle rear window. 
Victim stated that the assailants tried to remove the 
grandmother from the car, but the Mother in-law interceded, 
advising that the Grandmother had a bad back and other 
medical conditions.  The assailants complied with the request 
from the Mother in-law and left the Grandmother in the 
vehicle. Victim told ARSO all the luggage was stolen, which 
included laptops, cell phones, clothing, passports, and other 
documents. AmCit's Wife reported to the police the 
approximate value of the loss a $20,000. The victims 
immediately called in the theft of the credit cards and 
canceled their credit card accounts. Charges on the stolen 
cards were made at four different locations prior to the 
cards being canceled. 
 
¶3. (SBU)   RSO, CONGEN, and DCONGEN will meet with members of 
the American Chamber of Commerce  on 14 February to discuss 
strategies for dealing with rising crime in Costa Rica.  Per 
reftel, RSO is concerned about this type of criminal activity 
in San Jose, which is occurring in areas where Police 
patrols/coverage should be robust but appears to be very 
light. 
LANGDALE