The slaying of California surfing legend Kurt Van Dyke earlier this year rocked the surfing community. At first, it looked like an open-and-shut home invasion case, but now it’s turning out to be anything but.
Authorities in Costa Rica are now accusing Van Dyke’s girlfriend, 31, of being involved in a murder plot allegedly involving other people. Her name was given only as Arroyo, and she was zip-tied in the same incident, according to The Los Angeles Times.
According to Teletica, police have arrested two people “suspected of participating in the murder” of Van Dyke, who was described as an “American hotel businessman” who was murdered in February 2026 in Talamanca, Limón. There may have been two other people involved as well, Diario Extra reported, noting that the investigation is ongoing.
Kurt Van Dyke Died of Multiple Stab Wounds & Possibly Suffocation
Officers raided three homes and detained Arroyo and a “man named Gutierrez, 34,” police told Teletica. According to that site, Van Dyke, 66, known as “King,” was found under a bed “with multiple stab wounds and signs of suffocation.”
Diario Extra theorized that the suspects tried to obtain Van Dyke’s bank cards, and when they didn’t, they allegedly beat and tortured him “to force him to reveal the keys.” Police seized a vehicle and cell phones; they found Van Dyke’s car undamaged, that site reported.
According to the Tico Times, Van Dyke was a U.S. citizen who had long lived in Costa Rica and who owned a hotel called Hotel Puerto Viejo. You can see a photo of Van Dyke here.
Initially, his girlfriend was looked at as a victim; she was bound during the attack and claimed two men had entered the apartment they shared, pointed guns at them and left with valuables, Tico Times reported. That news site described Van Dykes as having “built a reputation as a respected business owner. His hotel drew visitors from around the world, contributing to the area’s tourism economy.”
Kurt Van Dyke’s Brother Described Him as a ‘Very Benevolent, Giving Person’
Van Dyke was remembered fondly in tributes.
“My brother was a very benevolent, giving person who would help just about anybody,” Kurt’s brother, Peter Van Dyke, told the San Francisco Chronicle over text. “Kurt would never hurt anybody, and he was always there when you needed him. Everyone that he met knew this about him.”
According to The Los Angeles Times, Van Dyke’s family was incredibly important to the surfing world. His father, Gene Van Dyke, “pioneered the sport in Northern California in the 1950s,” The Times wrote, adding, “His mother, Betty, who died in 2021 at 88, was one of the first female competitive surfing champions in the world.”
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