Bay Area Surf Legend Killed In Brutal Home Invasion Robbery: Report

SANTA CRUZ, CA — A legendary figure in both the Santa Cruz and Costa Rican surfing communities, was killed last week during a violent home invasion and robbery in the Caribbean coastal town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, according to a report by KTLA5.

Costa Rican police are investigating the apparent home-invasion robbery that occurred on Saturday at the home Kurt Van Dyke, 66, shared with his 31-year-old girlfriend, identified only as Arroyo by the Costa Rican newspaper La Nación. Van Dyke hails from Santa Cruz and a prominent CA surfing family.

Two armed men broke into the apartment and forced the couple into a room. Arroyo, who was showering when the break occured, survived the attack and told investigators the suspects used zip ties to bind her hands and feet and assaulted her, the Daily Beast reported..

Van Dyke’s body was later discovered by investigators beneath a bed with a sheet covering his face. Preliminary reports suggest the cause of death was choking, and he also sustained several stab wounds, according to KTLA.

The thieves reportedly stole valuables from the couple, including Arroyo’s 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Surveillance footage captured the two suspects fleeing the scene in the stolen vehicle, KTLA reported.

The murder investigation is currently ongoing, according to Van Dyke’s family.

Van Dyke helped define the surf culture along California’s Santa Cruz coast.

He was born into a well-known Santa Cruz surfing and farming family; his mother and father were pioneers in the local surf scene, according to NBC Bay Area. Van Dyke, a highly regarded surfer himself, moved to Costa Rica in the early 1980s, where he established his own legacy.

He quickly became a fixture in the local surfing community on the Caribbean coast, regularly riding the powerful and respected Salsa Brava break, NBC Bay Area reported.

"Kurt was a very good surfer and to be surfing at his age, he was in great shape," Peter Van Dyke, his brother, told NBC Bay Area. "He wasn't a partier. He loved his children and he loved the ocean."

Read the full story at KTLA5.