11/09/2024 – 16:38
The São Paulo Civil Police arrested a 19-year-old man on Tuesday, September 10, suspected of stealing singer Sula Miranda’s cell phone on September 2 on Rua Traipu, in Barra Funda, west of the city of São Paulo. At the time, she was walking on the sidewalk when the man rode by on a bicycle and stole the device.
According to the São Paulo Public Security Department (SSP), the suspect has already been investigated for involvement with a gang that steals and robs cell phones in downtown São Paulo. He was serving sentences after being convicted last year and began to be monitored by police after being caught on security cameras committing the crime against the singer.
At the time, when contacted, the artist’s advisor said that, despite the scare and the inconvenience, she was fine.
“With the images, officers from the 77th Police District were able to identify the suspect. While monitoring the streets of downtown São Paulo, the police located a boarding house where the suspect spent his days. After a stakeout, investigators were able to detain the man yesterday in front of the property,” said the SSP.
The clothes he was wearing on the day Sula Miranda’s cell phone was stolen were found in the suspect’s room. The bicycle he allegedly used to commit the crime and her smartphone were not found. The police believe he swapped the bicycle for another one to make the investigation more difficult and sold the stolen device.
“The man, who is at the disposal of the Justice Department, was taken to the headquarters of the 77th DP, where the case was registered as a criminal association,” the department states. According to the police, he has been operating in the region since 2022. In May of last year, he was charged with qualified theft and was serving restrictive judicial measures.
According to investigations, the gang members travel through the central neighborhoods of São Paulo, pretending to be cyclists and taking advantage of the victims’ distraction to commit the crime. “It is a structured gang, with specific tasks,” says the Civil Police.
“One of the perpetrators is responsible for stealing the device, who, after leaving the location quickly on a bicycle, hands over the stolen cell phone to a second perpetrator who, also on a bicycle, goes to a pre-determined location in order to sell it to the receivers.” Four other suspects are also being investigated for involvement in the crimes by the 77th DP.
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