SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — A 27-year-old man has been ordered to remain behind bars for six months as authorities investigate the killing of a U.S. social worker, authorities said Wednesday.
The suspect was identified only by his two surnames,.
The Costa Rican Public Ministry told the Associated Press that Obando Vega was apparently involved in a romantic relationship with Sondra Lynn Elizondo, a former Stewartville resident who was living in Florida. Elizondo was found dead with multiple stab wounds last week in a San Jose hotel.
Elizondo worked for Vida Volunteer of Merritt Island, Fla., which organizes volunteer medical and veterinary missions in Central America. She traveled frequently to Costa Rica and most recently entered the country Dec. 5.
The Public Ministry said Obando Vega was detained Dec. 10 at a supermarket in a northern district of the capital. Later, accompanied by a defense lawyer, he declined to make a statement.
