US embassy cable - 05SANJOSE2435

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 002435 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOP DS/IP/WHA AND DS/IP/FPO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC 
SUBJECT: ARMED ROBBERY AND SHOOTING AT SHOPPING CENTER NEAR 
EMBASSY 
 
REF: WILKINS/CARTER TELCON 10/17/2005 
 
1.  On 17 October at approximately 1300 hours, a hardware 
store employee waiting in a bank line to make a deposit of 
currency was shot in the leg while robbed of an undisclosed 
amount of cash. The location of the robbery is significant as 
it occurred at the Central Comercial Pavas Banco Nacional, 
which is immediately across the street from the Embassy. 
This shopping center is frequented by Mission Employees 
during working hours and Charge was getting a haircut in the 
shopping center at the time of the robbery/shooting.  The 
Costa Rican police subsequently arrested three people 
involved in this robbery and the money stolen was recovered 
by the police. Other than the man shot in the robbery, three 
other shots were fired at a vehicle occupied by two citizens 
who tried to assist and apprehend the criminals as they tried 
to escape the crime scene.  Fortunately these good citizens 
in the vehicle were not injured. 
 
2.  This is the first serious criminal incident of this type 
in the area immediately surrounding the Embassy in recent 
memory. The timing of this incident was also interesting. 
During the time of the robbery, RSO was engaged in 
conversation with FPO (ref a), and was advised that new 
Department budget cuts would possibly cause RSO to cut one 
mobile patrol and one perimeter security guard position (RSO 
only has two perimeter guard posts).  It is just these guard 
positions that could have intervened in the armed robbery 
yesterday if the shooter had chosen to target Mission 
employees or visa applicants departing or entering the 
Embassy. 
 
3.  RSO will continue to report these incidents in order to 
support RSO's strong objection to any possible local guard 
cuts for this Post. 
FRISBIE