A Tampa man went to Costa Rica to visit a friend. Now, the FBI is trying to find him
A Tampa Bay man has disappeared in Costa Rica, the Organismo de Investigación Judicial says.
Charlie Hughes, 62, was last seen Aug. 3 in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica, according to a missing person flier.
WTVT 13 first reported that Hughes had gone to visit a friend whom he’d met on a previous trip. Hughes’ family believes the friend played a role in his disappearance.
“[Charlie’s friend Tiffany’s] impression of this man was that he seemed almost like a scam artist,” David Hughes, the missing man’s brother, told Fox 13. “My brother, I don’t think, picked up on that. The bar in which he met him, even the bar owner, apparently told Tiffany to stay away from this young man, that he was trouble.”
Authorities have recovered Hughes’ rental car, according to the flier.
Last December, a South Florida woman staying in an Airbnb lodging was killed in Costa Rica. She was in the country celebrating her 36th birthday.
The FBI along with the OIJ are searching for Hughes. Texas EquuSearch, a nonprofit devoted to finding missing people, is also aiding in the search efforts.
If you have any information on Hughes’ whereabouts, please contact the OIJ at +506 8868 9149, the FBI or Texas EquuuSearch at 281-309-9500.
This story was originally published August 28, 2019 at 7:45 PM.
