Brazil: Suspect in 16 murders arrested dressed as woman with baby
A 33-year-old was arrested in Paraíba following a 30-hour manhunt, wearing women's clothing and holding an infant. He admitted to 11 of the 16 murders attributed to him.
Arrested with wig and baby in arms — suspect in dozens of murders in Brazil
A 33-year-old Brazilian, suspected of at least 16 homicides since May, was arrested last Sunday after disguising himself as a woman to evade authorities, local police announced. The development was reported by Naftemporiki.
The arrest was made following a 30-hour manhunt in a forested area of Paraíba, a poor state in northeastern Brazil. At the time of arrest, the suspect was wearing women's clothing and a wig with long black hair, whilst holding an infant in his arms.
During interrogation, the 33-year-old admitted to 11 of the 16 murders attributed to him by authorities. He also claimed to have participated in at least 80 additional homicides — something that has not been confirmed to date. Authorities have not provided further details about the identity of the victims or the manner of their deaths.
In video footage from his interrogation obtained by the French News Agency, the suspect states that he acted alone and denies any connection to criminal organisations in the area. He claims that all victims "were involved in crime" and that he decided to administer justice himself, because his family was receiving threats.
"I never acted against a father, a mother, a working person," he is heard saying, whilst also denying being characterised as a "psychopath".
Several weeks before his arrest, the 33-year-old had managed to escape during an armed confrontation with police forces, who considered him a member of a "violent" criminal organisation. He himself claims to have committed his first murder at the age of 13.
Source: Naftemporiki