Brazil murder suspect caught disguised with toddler
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Police in northeastern Brazil arrested Jorlan Lopes da Silva, 33, on Sunday, September 13, in Mulungu, Paraíba, after a 48-hour manhunt tied to a series of killings in the state. Investigators said he tried to avoid detection by dressing as a woman and carrying a two-year-old boy who was not related to him, then later told police he had killed about 80 people over two decades, a figure that has not been officially confirmed.
Key Points
- Police said da Silva was detained in Mulungu after officers nearly caught him about 20 days earlier during an operation on a federal highway, before a 48-hour pursuit ended in his arrest on Sunday, September 13
- At a checkpoint, he allegedly blended into a crowd wearing a striped dress, long wig and women’s sandals while carrying a two-year-old boy; officers identified him after spotting his chest tattoo.
- The child was not related to the suspect and was not injured during the arrest, while police said they are investigating how the boy came to be with him.
- Investigators said da Silva had been released from prison in May and have linked him to at least 16 murders in roughly three months, including the August 1 killing of two shopkeepers in Rio Tinto.
- During questioning, he allegedly admitted multiple murders, said he committed his first killing at age 13, and claimed the victims were criminals whom he was “eliminating.”
Why It Matters
The case remains fluid because police have not verified the suspect’s claim that he killed about 80 people, even as they say the number could be close and are comparing his confession with older unsolved cases. For Hong Kong readers, the episode also underscores how suspects can use disguises and even children as cover during flight, complicating arrest operations without changing the presumption of innocence before trial.