U.S. tourists kill mugger, Costa Rica says
- Share via
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA — A tour group of U.S. senior citizens killed a Costa Rican mugger by breaking his neck after he pulled a gun, a local police official said Thursday.
The cruise ship passengers told police they jumped on Wagner Segura, 20, to defend themselves when he pointed a .38-caliber revolver at them Wednesday near the Caribbean port of Limon, regional police director Luis Hernandez said.
One of the dozen tourists, a retired Marine about 70 years old, reportedly put Segura in a headlock.
“He was probably the one who broke [Segura’s] neck,” Hernandez said. “His neck was completely snapped.”
The cause of death was not clear. A statement from Carnival Cruise Lines said the assailant had apparently died of asphyxiation, and some reports identified the broken bone as the clavicle, not the neck.
No charges will be filed against the tourists because police viewed the incident as an act of self-defense.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
