Girlfriend of surfing star said he died in a robbery. Now she is a suspect in his murder

Girlfriend of surfing star said he died in a robbery. Now she is a suspect in his murder Kurt Van Dyke was found dead under his bed in February with authorities saying his body showed signs of strangulation and stab wounds - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in The girlfriend of murdered surfing legend Kurt Van Dyke has been arrested in connection with his death, according to reports. Van Dyke was killed at the age of 66 at his home in Costa Rica in February 2026. At the time, his girlfriend was reported to have been restrained with zip-ties when two men entered the home. Now, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency has confirmed to TV network Teletica that two people, including the 31-year-old girlfriend - identified only by her surname Arroyo - have been arrested in connection with Van Dyke’s death. A 34-year-old man with the surname Gutiérrez has also been arrested, following an operation that saw judicial agents raiding three homes. “We were able to establish the involvement of a 31-year-old woman with the last name Arroyo, who had a close relationship with the victim,” Vladimir Muñoz, the Acting Deputy Director General at the OIJ, confirmed to Diario Extra. “The woman had a direct relationship with the American citizen.” The OIJ is searching for two other individuals in connection with the crime. At the time of the February killing, a statement released by the Judicial Investigation Agency said that the 66-year-old’s body - which had been found under a bed - showed signs of strangulation and stab wounds. Two men had allegedly broken into the home with at least one of them being armed, stealing a vehicle and objects from the home while threatening Van Dyke and his girlfriend. Initial reports stated that the girlfriend was bound hand and foot during the ordeal. Muñoz told La Nación that Van Dyke was tortured in an attempt to get him to release the codes for his bank cards, with those involved later faking the theft of Arroyo’s car - which was found undamaged in the Atlantic region. Van Dyke was a legendary surfer known as the “King of Salsa Brava” because of his mastery of the waves off Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on the Caribbean coast. The late 66-year-old also came from a prominent surfing family, with his father, Gene Van Dyke, pioneering the sport during the 1950s. His mother, Betty, rose to fame as one of the first female competitive surfing champions in the world. Before his death, Van Dyke owned and operated a hostel for surfers in Costa Rica named Hotel Puerto Viejo. “My brother was a very benevolent, giving person who would help just about anybody,” Van Dyke’s brother, Peter, told The San Francisco Chronicle. “Kurt would never hurt anybody, and he was always there when you needed him. Everyone that he met knew this about him.”