New Twist In CA Surf Legend's Brutal Killing Leads To 2 Arrests: Report

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Nearly nine months after a legendary California surfer was found murdered inside his Costa Rica home, authorities have arrested two suspects Thursday in connection with his death — including his former girlfriend, who initially reported that they were victims of a violent home invasion, according to a report by KTLA.

Kurt Van Dyke, 66, a member of a prominent Santa Cruz surfing family and longtime hotel owner in Costa Rica, was found dead Feb. 14 at a residence near the Caribbean coastal community of Puerto Viejo.

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Costa Rican authorities arrested a 31-year-old woman identified by the surname Arroyo and a 34-year-old man identified as Gutiérrez on Thursday, according to KTLA.

Investigators said they now suspect Arroyo helped facilitate the attack, while Gutiérrez participated in an effort to obtain Van Dyke's bank card security codes, according to Costa Rican news reports cited by KTLA.

Authorities are still searching for two additional suspects.

In February, Arroyo initially told investigators that two armed men broke into the home, restrained her with zip ties and assaulted her before fleeing with valuables and her vehicle.

Van Dyke's body was discovered beneath a bed with signs of asphyxiation and multiple stab wounds, according to the original report.

The killing shocked the surfing communities of Santa Cruz and Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, where Van Dyke had lived for decades.

Van Dyke grew up in a well-known Northern California surfing family. His father, Gene Van Dyke, was a pioneer in the sport, while his mother, Betty, was a competitive surfer who encouraged women to take up surfing during the 1950s and 1960s.

Van Dyke moved to Costa Rica in the early 1980s and became a fixture in the local surfing community, regularly riding the powerful Salsa Brava break. He later opened and operated the Puerto Viejo Hotel.

Following his death, his brother Peter Van Dyke remembered him as a devoted father and lifelong surfer.

"He wasn't a partier. He loved his children and he loved the ocean," Peter Van Dyke told NBC Bay Area in February.

Authorities have not announced whether formal criminal charges have been filed against either suspect.