On Wednesday morning, two men were found with gunshot wounds in a mountainous area of Lourdes de Aguacaliente, Cartago. The discovery occurred after a passerby noticed blood stains on the street at around 8:30 a.m.
The witness, who was on his way to work on a farm, decided to follow the trail and went into the wooded area, where he found two seriously injured men. He immediately contacted the police.
At the scene, the officers found a 24-year-old man, surnamed Madrigal, dead, with gunshot wounds to the head. Next to him, they found another man, surnamed Picado and aged 27, with severe breathing difficulties. The latter was rushed to the Max Peralta hospital, where he died shortly after being admitted.
According to initial investigations, the attack allegedly occurred around 7 am, when local residents reported hearing several explosions. Authorities believe the victims were attacked in the street and then taken to a remote area, located approximately one kilometer from a hotel under construction, which remains abandoned.
The difficult access to the area, which requires 4×4 vehicles to enter, complicated the work of the authorities. During the morning, officers of the Public Force and the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) worked on collecting evidence and removing the body.
According to data from the Judicial Police, 640 intentional homicides have been recorded in the country so far this year. San José leads the list with 167 cases, followed by Limón with 137 and Puntarenas with 121. Alajuela has recorded 75 violent deaths, Guanacaste 57, Cartago 52 and Heredia 31.
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