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Carla Stefaniak: Man held in US tourist's death in Costa Rica Carla Stefaniak: Father confirms US tourist's death in Costa Rica
(about 17 hours later)
A body found near a Costa Rica Airbnb has reportedly been identified as the remains of a US tourist who went missing last week. The father of missing US tourist Carla Stefaniak has confirmed that a body found near a Costa Rica Airbnb is that of his daughter.
Carla Stefaniak disappeared on 28 November during a trip to celebrate her 36th birthday. Her family confirmed the identification in a Facebook post, saying words could not express their devastation.
Walter Espinoza, head of Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department, was quoted by AP news agency as saying the Florida woman had died of head trauma. Ms Stefaniak disappeared on 28 November during a trip to celebrate her 36th birthday.
He said a security guard at the property had been arrested. A security guard who had been staying in the room next door to Ms Stefaniak was arrested on Tuesday.
The Nicaraguan suspect, 32-year-old Bismarck Espinosa Martinez, had been in the room next door to Ms Stefaniak, and made conflicting statements to police, said officials. The Nicaraguan suspect, named as 32-year-old Bismarck Espinosa Martinez, made conflicting statements to police, according to officials.
Investigators earlier said the body was found buried in a mountainous area barely 200ft (60 metres) from Ms Stefaniak's Airbnb accommodation. His arrest came a day after investigators found a woman's body partially buried and covered in plastic bags near the Airbnb villa in San Jose.
Tracker dogs had discovered the remains partially buried in plastic bags, NBC News quoted investigating agency spokeswoman Marisel Rodríguez Solís as saying. The body had suffered stab wounds and a blow to the head, police said.
Investigators told a press conference that what appears to be blood was discovered inside the property in the San Antonio de Escazu neighbourhood. In a statement on Facebook, her family said: "Words cannot express the devastation within her family and friends. We want the world to know that we will never forget Carla."
Ms Stefaniak, who was born in Venezuela but has lived in Miami since 2000, travelled to Costa Rica with her sister-in-law, April Burton, on 22 November. Ms Stefaniak's family had travelled to Costa Rica to search for her, fearing she had been kidnapped.
Ms Burton flew back on 27 November. Ms Stefaniak had planned to fly back to the US the following day but never arrived for her flight. Ms Stefaniak, from the Miami Beach area of Florida, and her sister-in-law April Burton were visiting Costa Rica to celebrate Ms Stefaniak's birthday, but Ms Burton returned to Florida a day before Ms Stefaniak.
On the eve of her departure, she texted Ms Burton to say it was raining hard and there was a power cut at the property. The last time Ms Burton saw Ms Stefaniak was when she left her at the airport on 27 November.
"It's pretty sketchy here," Ms Stefaniak had written in the message. Ms Stefaniak then reportedly took an Uber from the airport to do some sightseeing around San Jose before she was dropped off at the Airbnb.
Guards at the apartment complex had claimed the missing woman left early in an Uber to catch her flight. She had been actively messaging friends and family throughout the day.
Ms Stefaniak's loved ones went to Costa Rica to look for her. Her final text to a friend around 21:00 local time indicated it was raining hard and the power in her Airbnb accommodation had gone out.
On Tuesday, a family friend said they had waited all day outside the morgue to identify the body, only to be turned away by officials who maintained investigators needed more time. Family and friends texted Ms Stefaniak for her birthday on 28 November, but received no response.
Bugra Demirel told the BBC: "It's a horrible wait, and every single minute that Costa Rican officials are not showing the body is just a tremendous amount of pain on the family." Ms Stefaniak had a flight scheduled for the following day, for which she had checked in, and she had booked an Uber.
But her family later learned she never boarded the flight home.
The Airbnb rental owner and local security guards said they saw her get into an unknown car with her luggage at around 05:00 local time, according to the family.
"None of us really believe this 5am story because it really doesn't make sense," Ms Burton told Fox News.
"There's no reason for her not to contact anyone."
According to the family's Facebook page, officials had initially not pursued the matter because Ms Stefaniak had appeared "rational at the time of her disappearance and got into a taxi of her own free will".
An Airbnb spokesman said the company had contacted Ms Stefaniak's family, as well as law enforcement authorities, to support and co-operate with the investigation.
The US Embassy in Costa Rica said it had no comment to give on the investigation.