WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Police Force (KPC) has released additional details about the murder of Colombian national Ricardo Garces Julio, whose body was discovered floating in Santa Cruz Bay with a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities are offering a reward of XCG 10,000 for information that helps solve the case.
Garces Julio, born on September 24, 1966, was found dead on September 25, 2026, after fishermen arriving at Playa Santa Cruz in the early morning hours noticed a lifeless body floating in the bay.
The fishermen immediately contacted the police, prompting officers to respond to the scene. The Coast Guard was also called in to assist with the investigation at sea.
According to police, investigators discovered a vehicle parked near the beach under suspicious circumstances. The vehicle had been left unlocked, which officers considered unusual given the early hour and the limited lighting in the area.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, officers discovered that the front passenger seat was covered in blood.
The discovery prompted police to secure the surrounding area to preserve potential evidence and conduct further investigations into the circumstances surrounding the killing.
A team of detectives is currently investigating the murder and attempting to establish what happened before the victim's body was discovered in the water.
Police have not disclosed whether the blood found inside the vehicle has been forensically linked to the victim. Authorities have also not released information about possible suspects or a motive for the killing.
The Public Prosecutor's Office has announced a reward of XCG 10,000 for information that could lead to a breakthrough in the investigation.
The Curaçao Police Force is urging anyone with information about the murder, suspicious activities near Playa Santa Cruz around September 25, or circumstances that could help investigators reconstruct the events to come forward.
Anyone with relevant information can contact the police at 917 or provide information anonymously through the tip line at 108.
Authorities emphasized that information from the public could be crucial in identifying those responsible and bringing the case to a conclusion.