Man accused of killing tourist in Pernambuco is captured in Santa Catarina
Daniel de Souza, 39, was detained in Porto Belo (SC) under suspicion of involvement in the murder of Rafael Ventura Martins, which occurred in January in Porto de Galinhas.
Man accused of killing tourist in Pernambuco is captured in Santa Catarina
Police arrested a man on Friday (10) in Porto Belo, on the coast of Santa Catarina, who is being investigated in connection with the death of a visitor inside a restaurant in Porto de Galinhas, a well-known beach resort in Pernambuco. The arrest of Daniel de Souza, 39, was reported by Folha de S.Paulo.
The crime occurred on 4 January. Rafael Ventura Martins, a 32-year-old from São Paulo who was enjoying a holiday in the region, lost his life following a fight at the restaurant Caldinho do Nenen. The authorities were already familiar with Daniel on suspicion of leading a criminal gang in the area.
According to investigator Marina Delgado, who conducted the inquiry, the incident was triggered by a trivial disagreement. The two men exchanged insults at the location. When Rafael's wife arrived, one of Daniel's associates provoked the couple, rekindling hostility. The exchange of words intensified until Daniel approached the victim and struck him with the butt of a gun. At that moment, Kelvyn Michael da Silva fired two shots, taking the tourist's life in the restaurant itself.
Customers who were in the restaurant that night recorded images which, at the time, went viral on digital platforms. The footage shows people attempting to provide first aid to the young man after the shots.
The investigator stressed that, despite Kelvyn pulling the trigger, Daniel exercised control over the scene and was also charged with homicide. Those involved had no previous connections. Rafael had past criminal records, but no connection between this history and the murder was detected.
After the attack, Kelvyn and Edson Paulo da Silva left the location and stole a car belonging to a visitor from Rio de Janeiro. Daniel, for his part, remained at the restaurant accompanied by other people, including two armed individuals who functioned as his bodyguards. The investigator recounted that he settled the bill at the table — four thousand reals — in cash and left calmly.
The inquiry was concluded in March and forwarded to the public prosecutor's office, which filed charges against all three perpetrators. The charges were accepted by the state judiciary in April. Kelvyn was arrested in Bahia in early June. Edson, however, was executed in February under circumstances still unclear; the incident is being investigated in Jaboatão dos Guararapes (PE). Daniel's bodyguards were not located during the investigations.
Ivanilson Albuquerque, Daniel's defence lawyer, released a statement asserting that his client has cooperated with the investigation from the beginning and will demonstrate that he "did not contribute to the crime being investigated". The lawyer emphasised that his client has a fixed address, never went into hiding and merely exercised the constitutional right to respond whilst free. The statement reiterated the presumption of innocence.
Maria Julia Leonel Barbosa, who represents Kelvyn, also issued a statement defending her client's collaborative conduct from the start of the investigation. The text also included an apology from Kelvyn directed at Rafael's relatives and friends, society at large, and his own newborn son, who will not have his father's company during childhood.
Source: Google News BR — São Paulo