Police suspect sexual motive was behind Hallandale woman’s killing
Police in Costa Rica suspect a security guard had a sexual motive for killing a Hallandale Beach woman who was celebrating her birthday abroad.
Traces of blood and other forensic evidence appear to show 36-year-old Carla Stefaniak was attacked in Apartment No. 8 of the Airbnb rental where she stayed near San Jose.
Costa Rican officials arrested 32-year-old Bismark Espinosa Martinez, a guard at the resort near the Costa Rican capital. The guard lived next door, in Apartment No. 7, and was detained Monday night. It looks like his “motive is sexual” in nature, said Walter Espinoza, director general of Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department, at a news conference Wednesday.
The guard contradicted himself in statements to police. He said he last saw Stefaniak at 5 a.m. Nov. 28 and helped her put her bags into a taxi. But then he changed his story, and investigators scrutinized those details, according to Costa Rican media.
The police said Martinez, a Nicaraguan immigrant, worked at the complex despite lacking the proper documents to be in Costa Rica. He is believed to have lived in Costa Rica since June.
Stefaniak’s body was found Monday, partly nude and covered with plastic bags near the villa she had rented. She had been hit in the head and had cuts on her neck and arms, an autopsy showed. She died from the neck injury, a medical examiner said.
Espinoza declined to elaborate about the attack, citing the open case. He said police have given the prosecutors’ office a report about their findings but stressed they’re still gathering evidence. They’re also checking whether they can recover surveillance footage from the resort.
Stefaniak, an insurance agent, loved to travel, posting pictures of her trips on social media, including visits to Iceland, Switzerland and Mexico.
A posting on the “Finding Carla” Facebook page says Costa Rican authorities let the family view her body.
“Words cannot express the devastation within her family and friends,” the Facebook post said. “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. We will always be with her and we know she will always be with us. May god bless her soul.”
Airbnb said it has removed the vacation rental listing where Stefaniak stayed.
Police said they haven’t been able to find some of Stefaniak’s belongings, including her luggage. Police said they’ll decide whether they can at some point release photographs of her luggage so the public could help.
In an interview with WFTS ABC News in Tampa, her father, Carlos Caicedo, held up a photo of Stefaniak, her sister and his two sons. “That’s my team,” he said of his grown kids, gripped with emotion. “Two and two. We are incomplete. We are incomplete.”
Miami police has some advice for Miami Art Week patrons.
Use ride share services such as Uber and Lyft or and public transportation such as buses to get around the Wynwood arts district.
Art Basel returns to Miami Beach today through Sunday, along with other fairs in downtown Miami, Wynwood and the Design District.
During a news conference in the artsy graffiti Miami neighborhood, Miami police chief Jorge Colinas addressed the upcoming traffic woes and how to get around them. He added that the department “will be deploying a lot of cameras.”
“We are going to have a zero tolerance for impaired drivers, a zero tolerance for underage
“We are going to have a zero tolerance for impaired drivers ... . ”
Jorge Colinas, Miami police chief
drinking so we are going to be out looking for that,” he added.
“This is a fabulous week for Miami where you can come out and enjoy the galleries, the food, the music, the cafés, everything that Miami has to offer,’’ he said. “Let’s just be mindful, bring your patience because traffic will be tough.
The department will be releasing maps of street closures and pick up and drop off points for ride shares.