Manuel Alvarez, the 74 year-old man native of Spain but a resident of San Francisco, California, who went missing in Costa Rica since February 2, is the owner of at least 17 properties in the country.

“He used to own restaurants in San Francisco, California. He then started investing in real estate. He came here (to Costa Rica) to buy and sell properties and he fell in love. About 15 years ago he brought me here on vacation and that’s how it all started here. He came here, went to Mexico, the United States, Spain…” explained Jose Luis Alvarez, brother of Manuel. Jose Luis has been in the country for several days filing the missing person’s report and following up with the authorities on his brother’s mysterious disappearance.

According to records by Costa Rica’s immigration office, Manuel entered the country for the last time on January 10. Jose Luis explained that he came to the country because his lawyers called him to inform him that someone was fraudulently attempting to sell (or had sold) one of his properties and had apparently forged his signature.

Family members said to the authorities they were not sure how many properties were owned by Manuel. The National Property Registry shows 8 under his name, but judicial authorities informed yesterday that there are as many as 17 located in different areas of Alajuela and San Jose, including some in Santa Ana and Escazu.

The native of Spain used to stay in a house in La Garita, Alajuela when he visited the country, the police searched his house on Saturday evening and found a Colombian man was living there and explained to the police that Manuel Alvarez had “let him stay” in the house so he could work from there, he apparently works in upholstery, the man didn’t have any documents or anything else to support his statement, there was no evidence found in the house that could indicate the whereabouts of Alvarez. The police officers gave the Colombian man until Tuesday to leave the house.

Police searched another house in the area of Turrucares in Alajuela but again no evidence was found.

“I really hope he turns up, but after such a long time, we know it’s difficult. Truthfully we want him to turn up, whatever the case may be. But hope is getting smaller, we are preparing for the worse, well we hope he is being held against his will”, said Jose Luis Alvarez.

Any information regarding this man can be reported to 800-8000-645 of the OIJ or through email to [email protected]