Family Searches for Missing Florida Woman on Costa Rican Vacation

UPDATE:

Carla Stefaniak's body was discovered in a wooded area about 1,000 feet away from the Airbnb she stayed at on her last night in Costa Rica.

Her body was identified by her father and brother on Tuesday night.

An autopsy revealed stab wounds around her neck and other extremities and blunt force trauma to the head, but ABC Action News reported that there were other indicators that showed she put up a fight against her attackers.

Costa Rican officials arrested Bismarck Espinoza Martinez, a security guard at the apartment complex that Stefaniak had been staying at, as his statements did not match with video surveillance.

Stefaniak's family continues to push Costa Rican officials to find and prosecute her killer and are working to get her body to Tampa for funeral arrangements.

Carla Stefaniak, 36, vanished while on a birthday vacation in Costa Rica. The Miami woman has been missing since Tuesday, November 27th.

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Stefaniak went to Costa Rica with her sister-in-law April Burton, but Burton had to return home on Tuesday, while Stefaniak’s flight was scheduled for Wednesday. Stefaniak dropped Burton off at the airport in San Jose on November 27th and returned the rental car.

“Stefaniak then took an Uber to an Airbnb about 30 minutes from the airport,” said Katie Gardner, the family’s spokesperson. “The same Uber driver drove Stefaniak sightseeing and shopping.”

Stefaniak texted Burton with photos and updates throughout the afternoon and then texted Burton and her family at her Airbnb that evening saying that the electricity was going in and out. The last text Burton received from Stefaniak was at 8 p.m.

CBS News reported that the last text read: "It's pretty sketchy here."

“At midnight Eastern time, Burton texted Stefaniak to wish her a happy birthday but did not receive a response,” Gardner said. “The next day, Burton got a call from a friend who said Stefaniak had not responded to any happy birthday texts or messages. Alarmed, they discovered Stefaniak had never boarded her flight home, which was scheduled for departure around 1 p.m. on Nov. 28.”

Stefaniak’s family spoke to the Uber driver, Airbnb owner, and local security guards. Apparently, she was last seen leaving her Airbnb rental at around 5 a.m. with her luggage and got into a mysterious car.

“The Uber driver arrived around 8 a.m. to pick up Stefaniak but could not find her,” Gardner said. “However, her family says the story does not make sense since her flight was not until that afternoon and the airport was only 30 minutes away. And since she had already used that Uber driver the day before, why would she have called a different Uber?”

On Thursday, the Costa Rican authorities opened an investigation and the family is asking for the public’s help through social media.

#DesaparecidosOIJ: La persona de la fotografía se encuentra desaparecida pic.twitter.com/xx4FaC2171

— OIJ Organismo (@oij_Organismo) November 29, 2018

Stefaniak’s brother is in Costa Rica working with authorities to find his sister.

"He said he's not coming back until he finds her," Burton said. "She was just such a happy go lucky person. I'm just afraid she was just too trusting with someone there."

Burton posted on Facebook: “Carla Stefaniak is STILL MISSING. I cannot stress enough how crucial it is that we keep sharing her story. We cannot let the authorities forget her and let this go.”

“We want to bring our girl back home!”