Mother and stepfather arrested this Wednesday (27), in Rio Grande do Sul, for the death of her son, a 4-year-old boy, lived on the run through beach towns and enjoying a life of luxury. The crime occurred in Florianópolis, in 2015. The two were arrested for child abuse resulting in death following warrants issued in 2023.
Arrests made on Wednesday (27) are part of the PCSC investigation with the Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul – Photo: PCSC/Divulgação/ND
Mother and stepfather lived in luxury condominium, police say
According to the DEIC (State Directorate of Criminal Investigations) of the PCSC (Civil Police of Santa Catarina), the two chose beach towns on the coast of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
The mother and stepfather, according to the investigations, rented houses and hotels for the season in tourist cities using false documents.
“They lived a comfortable life, a life of luxury, passing through cities like Canela, Capão da Canoa, in resorts known for mansions and luxury condominiums”, explained the chief delegate of the DEIC Captures Police Station, Allan Antunes Marinho.
The child’s mother and stepfather were arrested 8 years after the crime – Photo: PCSC/Disclosure/NDOutlaws showed no regret
The two were arrested by the Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul during the early hours of the morning, in a house they rented in the city of Capão da Canoa, on the North Coast of the State.
Even after the arrest, according to the PCSC, the mother and stepfather continued to defend the version that the child had died as a result of an accidental fall.
At the time of arrest, the stepfather even presented a fake driver’s license to the police. In addition, PCSC shirts and a Justice Officer’s functional card were also seized at the scene.
“They did not appear remorseful at any time, on the contrary, they still contested saying that it was a fall and tried to support the initial version of the accident in the shopping mall, which the expertise has already shown is not true”, pointed out the DEIC delegate.
The arrest of the fugitive couple was an action by the PCSC DEIC Captures Police Station, with the 6th Civil Police Station of Porto Alegre. According to the police, the prisoners must still undergo a custody hearing with the Judiciary of Rio Grande do Sul.
The arrest took place this Wednesday (27) in Rio Grande do Sul – Photo: PCSC/Disclosure/NDRemember the case
The crime occurred in 2015, in the capital of Santa Catarina. At the time, the fugitives told the police that the child had fallen and hit his head during a walk in a shopping mall in Florianópolis.
According to the mother and stepfather, the child did not present any discomfort after the accident, only waking up the next day, when they took him to the hospital and then released him.
A day after the treatment, according to their report to the police, the boy had become ill again and returned to the hospital already unconscious. The child was resuscitated, but died brain dead on June 21, 2015.
“[Eles] They tried to simulate the crime, saying that the child had fallen in a shopping mall and, in the incident report, they stated that they went to an emergency room in Canasvieiras and the doctor had said it was a concussion, which is nothing more than a lie. They tried to cover up the crime”, recalls police chief Allan Antunes Marinho.
Expert report contradicts version
According to the forensic report, the cause of death of the 4-year-old boy was the so-called SBS (Shaken Baby Syndrome), which occurs when the child is violently shaken, restrained, in most cases, by the arms and legs. or by the shoulders.
Doctors explained in the document that aggressive movement carried out repeatedly can cause vessels in the brain and retina (retinal) to rupture, causing a series of hemorrhages and, consequently, death.
The defense of the two, according to the PCSC, tried several legal alternatives to postpone the sentence and facilitate their possible escape. At the time, the sentence provided for 8 years in prison for the stepfather and 7 years for the child’s mother.
“We were asked for support, due to the difficulty of finding the fugitives, who were changing their address periodically. In around 2 and a half months of investigation we managed to find them, with the help of the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Police”, adds the delegate.
