By Wendy Anders

At dawn on Saturday, judicial investigative police (OIJ) from Aguirre and Parrita in Puntarenas province began investigations into the death of a Panamanian man shot dead near entrance to Portalón, Quepos in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific region.

The 37-year old Bartley received several gunshot injuries in different parts of his body while driving around 1:00 a.m. from Quepos, outside Manuel Antonio National Park, south towards Dominical, a favorite Pacific surf spot, said police.

Two people accompanying the Panamanian were wounded in the shooting, a 20-year-old named Alfaro, who had at least seven gunshot wounds, and a 23-year-old woman named Morales who was injured in one knee.

According to police, the three were intercepted by another car whose occupants fired at them.

After being shot, Bartley lost control of his car which then did a u-turn and slammed into a fence of a private property on the opposite side of the road. He died at the scene.

The others were taken by local police who responded to the accident for treatment at the Max Terán Hospital in Quepos.

The wrecked car was taken to the regional OIJ offices for inspection, and the crime remains under investigation, said police.