By Wendy Anders

An American identified as John Joseph Lonegan was killed Wednesday in Jacó after a quarrel with a man after he refused to buy drugs from the latter, reported El Diario Extra, a Costa Rican tabloid paper, this afternoon.

El Extra spoke with the Judicial Investigative Agency (OIJ) who said the facts were reported at 5 a.m. at a disco on Jacó’s Avenida Pastor.

“The foreigner mingled with several people, decided to leave the place with a female, they were going to take a taxi and as they were about to get in, an unknown subject that we have not yet identified comes up and offers to sell them drugs, to which both the foreigner and the woman accompanying him say no. For no reason, once they were inside the taxi, the suspect opened the door, tried to force the woman out, and the foreigner intervenes, there is a discussion during which U.S. man is shot,” said Michael Soto, director of the Office of Plans and Operations (EPO) for the OIJ, related to El Extra.

The American had bullet wounds in the chest and jaw and was taken in delicate condition to Jacó Clinic, where he was pronounced dead. As for the suspect, he fled the scene on a motorcycle, reported El Extra.

Some eyewitnesses said the suspect was Colombian, but this fact has not been confirmed by police authorities, said El Extra.