Gerardo Cruz, a young man who became a folk hero in Costa Rica through his actions in public and on social media, passed away from a cardiac arrest at 6:18 pm on Thursday, November 19th.

As reported by The Costa Rica Star in October, Mr. Cruz was a 22-year old man who confronted another man for filming an “upskirt” video in the capital city of Costa Rica. Two days later, he was brutally stabbed multiple times as he walked through the San Sebastian district, located in the southern suburbs of San Jose.

The incident took place in the Avenida Central (Central Avenue) pedestrian boulevard that bisects downtown, the most transited spot in Costa Rica. On October 5th, Mr. Cruz was walking down the boulevard when he noticed a man filming a young woman from behind. The woman was wearing a loose miniskirt that was flying up every time the wind picked up, and the man behind her tried to capture the moment on his smartphone.

The man filming the legs and backside of the young woman was more likely engaged in producing an “upskirt” video, which is a voyeuristic fetish that can be defined as an intrusive style of filming under a woman’s skirt, thus showing the subject’s crotch and underwear. Upskirt videos and images are actively posted and shared on online forums and social networks, and the indignation of the harassed women is often part of the fetish.

The upskirt videographer has been the subject of death threats in the past.

According to a report filed by Manuel Avendaño of national newspaper La Nacion, the family of dearly departed is devastated by his passing, which they learned about upon arriving at the Calderon Guardia Hospital for their daily evening visit.

On October 28th, Mr. Cruz opened his eyes after three weeks under intensive care. His primary care team determined that the extent of his cerebral damage left him unable to speak. He communicated through blinks and other eye gestures until his unfortunate passing.

Mr. Cruz, who worked at a bakery, is survived by his working-class family and by his devoted partner Karol Zúñiga, who expects to give birth to a baby girl in about 12 weeks. The Costa Rica Star herewith extends deepest condolences to the family.