Arroyo, who survived the incident,\u00a0told local police that the suspects used zip ties on her hands and feet and assaulted her, the\u00a0Daily Beast<\/a>\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n Investigators later found Van Dyke\u2019s body beneath a bed with a sheet over his face.\u00a0Preliminary reports suggest that he was choked to death and had suffered several stab wounds.<\/p>\n The thieves are said to have stolen some of the couple\u2019s valuables,\u00a0including\u00a0Arroyo\u2019s 2013 Hyundai Elantra, in which surveillance footage captured\u00a0the two men fleeing the scene in.<\/p>\n Tree on Punta Uva beach in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica.<\/p>\n Residents of the normally quiet coastal community in Costa Rica\u2019s Lim\u00f3n\u00a0province were shocked at the violence, especially directed at Van Dyke, a well-known and respected member of the\u00a0Caribbean coast\u00a0surfing\u00a0community and the owner\/operator\u00a0of\u00a0the budget-friendly Puerto Viejo Hotel.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cThis shocks\u00a0and saddens us because the Caribbean has been so peaceful,\u201d Roger Sams, president of Costa Rica\u2019s Southern Caribbean Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, told\u00a0La\u00a0Naci\u00f3n<\/a>.<\/p>\n A long-time ex-pat, Van Dyke began frequenting the Lim\u00f3n province in 1983, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.<\/p>\n Kurt Van Dyke, 66, seen in this undated photo posted on Facebook.<\/p>\n Puerto Viejo Hotel in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica. (Google Street View)<\/p>\n The area is known for barreling waves called Salsa Brava, which translates to \u201cWild Sauce\u201d in English. The 66-year-old\u2019s mastery of surfing the region\u2019s big waves earned him the moniker of \u201cKing\u201d by locals.<\/p>\n Woman, 80, accused of killing family of 4 in California <\/a><\/p>\n Van Dyke had said in interviews that his love of surfing came from his family, who gave him his first surfboard at the age of 7. His father, Gene, was considered one of Northern California\u2019s most notable surfing pioneers, while his mother, Betty,\u00a0also a competitive surfing champion, encouraged women in the 1950\u2019s and 60\u2019s to take up the sport as well,\u00a0The Chronicle reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n In addition to the Santa Cruz surfing community, the family has run Van Dyke Ranch, a sprawling farming operation that grows cherries,\u00a0apricots\u00a0and other fresh fruits, for\u00a0nearly 60\u00a0years.<\/p>\n Peter Van Dyke, Kurt\u2019s brother, took the ranch over when their mother died in 2021 at the age of 88.<\/p>\n \u201cKurt loved the ocean, our farm, animals and his family,\u201d Peter told The Chronicle. \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0a very sad\u00a0time because of all the great memories we have growing up together, farming and surfing.\u201d<\/p>\n While the incident is under investigation, Costa Rican officials have made no arrests.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n![\"Tree](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/922639e0ec0c00dfde6293f9a32f87b9.jpeg\"\/)
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