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Another crew attack? Puerto Rico this time!

Discussion in 'Yacht Crews' started by Pascal, Feb 5, 2009.

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  1. Pascal, Feb 5, 2009
    #1
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    this was reported by Triton.... take with a grain of salt as it seems the report of an attack in St Thomas may not be accurate (no confirmation):

    update... here is the AP story

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- A Puerto Rico man confessed to killing a pregnant tourist who was kidnapped as she was jogging in this U.S. Caribbean territory, police said Thursday.

    Eliezer Marquez Navedo, 36, apparently acted alone in a random crime, said Antonio Lopez, police investigations chief in the eastern city of Fajardo. Marquez had not yet been charged.

    Sara Kuszak made a desperate call for help from the trunk of her kidnapper's car Wednesday, about an hour before she was found dead with her throat slashed. Police arrested Marquez, whose clothing was covered with blood, based on the victim's description of the vehicle.

    Police say Marquez told police he abducted Kuszak after seeing her jogging alone.

    "He opened the trunk, he waited for her to pass by and he forced her into the trunk," Lopez said.

    Investigating officer Arsenio Rodriguez said the FBI used a signal from the victim's cell phone to help locate the suspect. Kuszak's fiance had called the FBI, which turned the case over to local police.

    Kuszak, 35, who moved to Savannah, Georgia, from San Francisco about five years ago, arrived Tuesday night in Puerto Rico, where she met up with her fiance and several friends.

    "She was looking forward to the rest of her life with her fiance and her unborn baby," her friend Matt Daniel said in a phone interview from Georgia. "I'm just devastated. I don't know who would do something like that."

    Kuszak, who worked on sailboats and part-time in real estate and catering, was five months pregnant, friends said.

    She and her fiance, Cheshire McIntosh, met several years ago on a South Pacific island where she was vacationing and he was sailing a yacht, said another friend in Georgia, John Everette.

    Kuszak apparently was going to visit some friends whose yacht was docked in Fajardo, marina spokeswoman Frances Rios said. Kuszak's cell phone call for help was placed to a marina employee who then called 911.

    Police would not release a transcript of the marina employee's 911 call because the case is under investigation.
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2009
  2. Ken Bracewell, Feb 5, 2009
    #2
    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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    Devastating. She was a sweet girl and her fiance is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.
  3. Yacht News, Feb 5, 2009
    #3
    Yacht News

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    Are you kidding? What are these people doing? They are ruining the reputation of the Caribbean and to think it is only a few bad apples that does this foolishness. However, I am sorry to read of this unfortuate news.
  4. Ken Bracewell, Feb 5, 2009
    #4
    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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    I know what you mean Ron, but I'm sure content to be based in Florida and the Bahamas this winter.
  5. Manny, Feb 5, 2009
    #5
    Manny

    Manny Senior Member

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    I cannot believe this.....near Puerto del Rey, the biggest marina in all of the Caribbean.....
  6. DocRon, Feb 6, 2009
    #6
    DocRon

    DocRon Member

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    Chef murdered in Puerto Rico

    This is tragic news, not only for the family, but for tourism in Caribbean as well. The authorities need to get their act together very soon or one of the greatest forms of income to these areas will be lost.

    How come so many brutal incidents in such a short space of time?

    Condolences to the family!!!
  7. johnagraham, Feb 6, 2009
    #7
    johnagraham

    johnagraham New Member

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    The economy?
  8. Ken Bracewell, Feb 6, 2009
    #8
    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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    That's a very good question. I've been wondering the same thing.
  9. DocRon, Feb 6, 2009
    #9
    DocRon

    DocRon Member

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    Certainly "The Economy" is bad at the moment. But does that really drive people to murder?
  10. Pascal, Feb 6, 2009
    #10
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    this tragedy wasn't even a robbery from what i understand, just a random act of violence. A few years ago, well many few years ago (early 90s) a woman was hacked to death by a guy with a machete as she was walking in broad daylight in a safe area... no motive, nothing to do with the economy, greed or envy...
  11. DocRon, Feb 6, 2009
    #11
    DocRon

    DocRon Member

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    South Africa has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the world. A lot of it is senseless killing.... It has got worse over the past few years simply because the authorities have not taken it seriously despite hordes of people leaving the country to find safer havens. Other than the violent crime, SA is still one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

    Lets hope that the Caribbean will not go that way and the authorities take these 2 incidents very seriously and curb the violence before it gets out of control.
  12. Ken Bracewell, Feb 6, 2009
    #12
    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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    I'm no psychologist but I'm wondering if a sense of economic despair could cause people to lose their moral grounding.
    Recent excerpts from the Facebook group Crews Against Violence in Yachting Ports Worldwide
    "After doing a quick search online trying to see the actual number's of tourist's who have been murdered in the Caribbean, I was absolutely shocked! There was the British couple who were attacked and killed in their cottage while on their honeymoon last July, the 2 stew's who were run over in St. Maarten on New Years Eve. Nothing has been done about either case. Fortunately the stew's survived, but one barely made it on the Med e-vac to Miami. It seems that when a local islander is involved the officials are less inclined to prosecute and generally find a way of blaming the tourist. Since 75% of the island's income comes from tourist's spending money (actual number provided by the ministry of tourism and economic growth) if there was a collective effort to withdraw from the area it might drive the point home with the local officials. Of course the owner's still want their trips in their favorite places, but lets face it many boats are just sitting waiting for charter's or guests."

    AND

    "There have been three attacks here in the Caicos in the past couple of weeks, including a shooting at the Full Moon Party and a robbery that took place with a machete. There was another crime involving a woman that was so gruesome I can't even say what they did to her because it makes me so sick. We have to keep the yacht and ourselves locked up tight all the time now, and always watch our backs, and that's no fun!!!!!"
  13. Yacht News, Feb 6, 2009
    #13
    Yacht News

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    Well Jamaica has astounding murder figures but still does great business on the nothern coast where cruiseships go. I do not hear about an excessive number of yachts going to Jamaica though. However, for the main islands that do alot of charter business such as St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Barthelemew etc this is not good at all. It creates a very bad rep for the Caribbean. We were never a terribly violent people, very peaceful, welcoming and helpful throughout all the islands.

    This spate of immoral acts is senseless. These people do not seem to realize that 1. We are a region that depends very heavily upon tourism especially in times like these.
    2. When they scare yachtsmen, guests, passengers from cruiseships and so on, what will they eat when the night comes?
    3. It creates such a bad reputation for us. Granted that it is still and isolated set of incidents but these things put a bad mark on your rep and make people point fingers at you.
    Stupes, come on people behave yourselves. I am sorry but these things disturb me very much, I hate when people are killed especially in senseless and unwarranted ways.
  14. Capt J, Feb 7, 2009
    #14
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    A bad economy makes people do all sorts of bad things they might not do during a better economy. Some people will rob and steal more desperately in a bad economy. A bad economy might make a normal person depressed and become an alcoholic or get involved with drugs that would totally change their perception or right and wrong. People tend to drink more and do more drugs then they would even normally would if they were busy working. Needless to say, anytime there is a bad economy crime is going to be much higher.

    The things I've seen here in south florida are shocking. I've looked at foreclosed houses around $400k that origionally sold for $900-950k, and the people had the cheapness to take the kitchen appliances or the washer and dryer and stuff like that when they moved out. What are you going to get for a washer and dryer used? $250? I've heard about people stealing a/c units while the people were home and all kinds of crazy stuff.

    I've been going to Puerto Rico since the early 90's and always felt safe wandering around there anytime in the 90's. I've been there about 7 different times. The last time I went there in 2007 I know how to get around PR and stuff, but definately did not give me the safe feeling it used to.
  15. DocRon, Feb 7, 2009
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    DocRon

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    I guess this is the upside of a bad economy. One can buy cheap and when the economy begins to grow again then one can make some serious cash.

    Otherwise I agree with all you said. Unemployment has a direct relationship with crime and I guess drugs. That together does lead to more serious crime. But what do we do about it? Wait for the economy to rectify itself? According to most economists, the economy will get worse in 2009 and therefore crime will get worse.