According to the 2017 Annual Report of the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ), a total of 4,747 reports of stolen cars were filed last year, for an average of 13 cars a day; this represents a 10% increase from the total of 2016.

Thieves prefer the brands Hyundai (492 reports) and Toyota (478), but other brands such as Suzuki,Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda, Isuzu, Geo and Chevrolet, are also commonly targeted; the majority of the cars are stolen when left on the street, however there are also many cases when the owners have been attacked and robbed.

San Jose is the city that registers the largest number of vehicle theft cases (519), followed by Alajuela (513), Desamparados (211), Heredia (206) and Goicoechea (165).

The months of August, October and November presented the most thefts and the preferred day to commit the crime’s are Saturdays between the hours of 9 p.m. and midnight.

“This type of crime is generally carried out by young people”, explained Walter Espinoza, director of OIJ, who also affirmed to The Costa Rica Star that most cars stolen are older models (90’s) since they take them apart and sell the parts.

When it comes to motorcycles, the preferred brands include Freedom, Honda, Yamaha, Formula and Serpento; newer models are ones that call the attention of criminals.