by Rod Hughes

There are times when a wife just doesn’t know where she stands with her busband…

Police are investigating the accusation that a man identified only as Mendoza in La Rita de Pococí hit his wife, Alicia Mena, 45, with a pistol butt, dragged her unconscious body on a plank to a ravine and buried her. Some 20 minutes later, according to police, Mendoza, 48, returned in a quandry of indecision, uncovered her, still living, carried her back to the house and hosed her off. Then he began to berate her once again while threatening her with his gun.

This allegedly happened Sept. 22 but police did not find out until three older children, who do not live with their parents, notified authorities on Oct.2. When police came to investigate the alleged domestic violence, the wife refused to talk with them, nor could they find the ravine where her unconscious body had supposedly been dumped. Police are continuing to probe the incident. The couple have three minor children at home.

Police had brought Red Cross paramedicas who examined the wife and found only a large number of ant bites on her arms. She refused to go to a medical facility for a more thorough examination.

Commentary; If nothing else, this incident demonstrates the absurdity of Costa Rica’s privacy standard. Police are prohibited from divulging to the press more than the surname of an accused who has not been indicted. But La Rita de Pococí is hardly a densely populated area like New York and likely all the neighbors know “the Mendoza married to Doña Alicia.” That man has the same chance a privacy as Paris Hilton…