Two people have been arrested in connection with the killing of a renowned California surfer at his home in Costa Rica nine months ago, according to local media reports.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency arrested a 31-year-old woman identified by the surname Arroyo and a 34-year-old man identified as Gutierrez during raids on three properties in Roxana de Pococi early Thursday, Teletica reported.
Kurt Van Dyke, 66, was born in Santa Cruz and had lived in Costa Rica for decades, where he owned a hotel.
Authorities found Van Dyke’s body beneath a bed at his home in Cahuita on Feb. 14. He had suffered multiple stab wounds and appeared to have been asphyxiated.
Van Dyke’s girlfriend, who also has the surname Arroyo, told investigators that two armed men had broken into the house, restrained her with zip ties and taken valuables.
Teletica reported that the female suspect’s age and surname match details previously made public about Van Dyke’s girlfriend.
Police have not confirmed whether the woman arrested is the same person. Investigators also have not disclosed what roles either suspect allegedly played in the death.
Peter Van Dyke, Kurt’s brother, told The California Post on Thursday that the family had been following developments through news reports.
“I haven’t found out anything other than that there were several arrests, including, I believe, the girlfriend,” Peter said.
He said he had “never really known the girlfriend at all.”
“I can’t even come up with the word. It’s not happy, but we’re just glad that it’s over,” he said. “And it may not even be over, because there’s still, you know, the court cases and all that coming up.”
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Peter added that his nephew planned to visit him the following week, and the family expected to learn more at that time.
Van Dyke was a familiar figure in both Costa Rica and his native California.
After moving to Costa Rica in the early 1980s to surf the powerful Salsa Brava break, he spent decades operating a modest hotel in Puerto Viejo. His skill on the waves earned him the nickname “King” along Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast.
His father, Gene Van Dyke, was considered a Northern California surfing pioneer. His mother, Betty, helped open doors for women in the sport during the 1950s and ’60s.
The Van Dyke family also has deep agricultural roots. For generations, it operated the Van Dyke Ranch near Gilroy, where apricots and cherries were sold at local farmers markets.
After the killing, Peter told The California Post that he believed the circumstances were “more nefarious” than a random home invasion.
Although he knew Kurt had a girlfriend, Peter said he knew little about her. He also noted that there were people in the area “who did not like him.”
“There are people who like him and there are people who don’t. It was more nefarious,” Peter said at the time.
The brothers spoke every week, and Peter said Kurt had reassured him that “he had everything under control.” Van Dyke was widely known in both Costa Rica and California.
According to his brother, Van Dyke had several business partners in the region after settling in Costa Rica during the mid-1980s.
The community where he was killed is generally regarded as safe, making the case particularly unsettling for local residents.
