CANADA Canada - Stephen Lapowich, 28, Toronto ON, 25 Mar 2011 - during P. Rico trip

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http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...man_who_disappeared_on_puerto_rican_trip.html

"
More than a year and a half ago, Stephen Lapowich boarded a plane and disappeared without a trace. The mystery has left his family distraught, but they’re holding onto hope, offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts.


On March 25, 2011, Lapowich went to Pearson airport for a three-week holiday to Costa Rica, but the airline cancelled the flight, and, according to customs records, he boarded a plane to Puerto Rico, where the trail ends.


What’s even more peculiar is that Lapowich, 30, who was very close to his family and rarely travelled, never mentioned his upcoming solo trip to Costa Rica"
 
http://www.citynews.ca/2013/03/27/f...an-missing-for-2-years-asks-for-publics-help/
"The mother of a missing North York man who was last seen two years ago made an emotional appeal for information on Wednesday.

“Holidays, birthday, family dinners, when my young grandchildren are there and I know I shouldn’t talk about Stephen, these are the times that are hardest to get through,” Gayle Lapowich said at Toronto police headquarters.

“Late at night, when, of course, my thoughts go to ‘where is he in this world,’ I try to be optimistic but I really seesaw between that and despair,” she said.

Stephen Lapowich, then 28, was last seen in Toronto on March 25, 2011, and police believe he may have travelled to the United States and then to Puerto Rico.

“The family has sent a Spanish-speaking retired Toronto police officer, who now works as a private investigator, to Puerto Rico to follow up on any leads,” Det. Const. Clayton White said at the news conference"
 
How do they know it was a 'three-week' trip to Costa Rica? Was he booked at a resort? It certainly sounds spur-of-the-moment and voluntary.
 
"The Lapowich family is also offering a reward of up to $30,000 for information that helps locate Stephen. Anyone with information must contact Toronto investigators directly in order to claim the reward.

Lapowich was 28 when he disappeared.

He is described as a white male standing five-foot-nine and weighing 169 pounds, with a medium build, short brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to call Toronto police or call Crime Stoppers anonymously"


Read more: http://www.cp24.com/news/missing-ma...s-after-disappearance-1.1213414#ixzz2OlCsnz3X
 
The above states he never mentioned his upcoming trip?

So, I have the same question, how did they know it was a three week trip to Costa Rica?
 
I wonder why the delay in reporting him missing. The official police report is dated Tuesday, April 19, 2011, yet he was last seen on Friday, March 25, 2011???

I can't help but think that the "window of opportunity" has been compromised by such a delay in reporting him missing. I sure hope I'm wrong.

Police Report: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/pdfs/20864.pdf
 
Maybe he bought a return ticket that was dated in three weeks? That could also be the reason for the delay in reporting him missing. They waited until he was supposed to be back from his trip?

I'm surprised I have heard nothing about him being missing before today. I'm a news junky :blushing: and saw this article on CBC for the first time today. Came to websleuths to find out if there were any more details and found that this discussion only started today as well.

Why was there not more of media presence when he was first reported missing? And if your flight to Costa Rica is cancelled, why wouldn't you wait for the next one? Why go to Puerto Rico? It seems odd, I would think he would have accomodations or some sort of plan for Costa Rica and then for him to change and go to Puerto Rico. Weird.
 
Is there any more info on the FB page? My access is blocked at work
 
All kinds of questions! Makes me think of the show 'Locked up Abroad'. Hope he didn't gt involved in something like that.

Weird he didn't tell anyone about the trip and wasn't much of a traveler.
 
this is crazy.....why whould you board a plane to somewhere you hadn't planned on going?
 
https://www.facebook.com/stephen.lapowich

It's mostly private and not recently updated but there are some pictures to view. It appears that they were taken in 2008 and maybe while on vacation in the Turks & Caicos. Based on this, IMO, he may be more of a traveler than my initial thought.


I'm fascinated so off to look for more.
 
Strange case. Puerto Rico can be dangerous,depending on where you go. In the past few years the island has become a major narco transhipment area. There are car jackings and home invasions,even in good areas.

Wonder why he ever went there ? Does he speak Spanish ?
 
BBM
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/pdfs/26027.pdf
"The Toronto Police Service is continuing to request the public's assistance locating a missing
man.
See previous release.
Stephen Lapowich, 29, was last seen on Friday, March 25, 2011.
He is described as white, 5’9”, 169 lbs., with a medium build, short brown hair and blue eyes.
Information was received to suggest that he was in the United States and possibly travelled to
Puerto Rico.The Toronto Police Service and his family are concerned for his safety.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416−808−3300, Crime Stoppers
anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, text TOR and your
message to CRIMES (274637), or Leave A Tip on Facebook. Download the free Crime
Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World."
 
http://www.ticotimes.net/Current-Ed...ing-tourists-in-Costa-Rica_Monday-May-30-2011

BBM
Official U.K. travel website warns about increase in missing tourists in Costa Rica

Posted: Monday, May 30, 2011 - By Tico Times


The British government’s official travel advice on Costa Rica reads: “Incidents of violent crime against tourists are increasing.” Brit Michael Dixon went missing in Tamarindo in 2009. His case remains unsolved.


The United Kingdom government published an official warning on its travel advice page informing visitors about the increasing number of missing people in Costa Rica.

A press release explained that the addition to the travel website came after David Dixon sent a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron asking for help in solving the disappearance of his brother, Michael Dixon, who went missing in Costa Rica in 2009. (Read the letter to the prime minister here.)

The travel advice site now includes “Incidents of violent crime against tourists are increasing” in Costa Rica. Later on it, it reads “Eight foreign nationals (including one British national) have gone missing in the last two years, with some related to criminal activity."
 
I'm wondering what, if anything, they were able to find on his computer. Potential plans for his travels? Was he communicating with someone and planning to meet someone from the internet on his vacation?

Reading through the articles already posted here, a few things stick out.

From (http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...man_who_disappeared_on_puerto_rican_trip.html) 11/9/12

Police don’t believe his disappearance is crime-related or that he was kidnapped.

This seems like a very bold assertion. However this was also from an article almost 5 months old. Perhaps the complete lack of any leads or evidence is the reason for such an statement.


Here it says he "was last seen March 27, 2011 when he boarded a flight to Miami in Toronto. Police say he was travelling to Puerto Rico for a vacation. Investigators say he arrived in Puerto Rico, but disappeared after leaving the airport."

(http://www.cp24.com/news/missing-ma...s-after-disappearance-1.1213414#ixzz2OmdyzOSJ)

So he had a layover in Miami where he was supposed to get on a connecting flight to Costa Rica, which got cancelled and instead took a flight to Puerto Rico? I'm assuming airport surveillance from that time has long been recorded over, though I don't know how that works. I wonder if any other passengers who were scheduled to fly to CR switched their flight to PR.

I need to do some searching and reading on this....

Hopefully the new attention will generate information and most importantly find Stephen!
 
I am guessing that he flew to Miami for his connecting flight to Costa Rica. Got to Miami,and found that his flight had been cancelled. Met up with a person or persons in the airport,and was persuaded to fly to San Juan,Puerto Rico with that person or persons. Was possibly robbed when he got to PR. How much $$ did he have on him ?...JMO
 
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