Brutal crime reveals possible settling of scores and puts authorities and residents of the region on alert.
An extremely violent crime shook the tranquility of São João Batista, in Santa Catarina, last Saturday, May 17. Four young people were brutally murdered and had their bodies charred and dismembered, found inside a burned vehicle.
The case, which is being treated as a qualified quadruple homicide, has caused perplexity and tension in the community, while the police search for clues to solve the crime.
What seemed like an ordinary night in the Timbezinho neighborhood turned into a scene of horror. Residents reported hearing screams for help followed by an explosion.
Hours later, the police were called and found a completely charred vehicle on a dirt road. Inside the car were the remains of the four victims, dismembered and unrecognizable to the naked eye.
Three of the four bodies have already been identified by the Scientific Police of Santa Catarina. They are:
Gabriel de Azevedo Pereira , 20 years old, from Tijucas. The young man had a police record for drug trafficking.
Gabriel Salomão de Sousa , 19 years old, from Porto Alegre (RS), with a record of a minor crime.
Guilherme Vinicius Bittencourt , 18 years old, from Gravataí (RS), involved in crimes against property.
The identity of the fourth victim has not yet been confirmed. The body was in an advanced state of carbonization and it will be necessary to wait weeks for the results of DNA tests. Sources close to the investigation say that the victim may be linked to the others, but no hypothesis has been ruled out at this time.
According to delegate Cristiano Sousa, responsible for the investigations, the homicides did not occur at the location where the vehicle was found.
The victims were killed in a wooded area approximately two kilometers away, close to homes. The bodies were transported to the car, which was set on fire in an attempt to hide evidence.
“The crime was committed with extreme violence and coldness. The way the bodies were treated reveals a clear attempt to make identification difficult and hinder the investigation,” the police chief declared.
Although there is no official confirmation yet, the police are working on the hypothesis that the crime is linked to drug trafficking. The presence of criminal records related to this type of crime among the victims strengthens this line of investigation.
However, the criminal history of some of those involved suggests that it could be a settling of scores or retaliation between factions,” said a source close to the case, on condition of anonymity.
The case caused great commotion in São João Batista and the surrounding area. The neighborhood where the car was found remains in a state of apprehension. Residents avoid commenting on the case and report fear of reprisals. Many prefer to remain silent rather than run the risk of getting involved with possible criminals who are still at large.
“It’s a tragedy that seems like something out of a movie, but it happened right here on our doorstep.
We are scared. We have never seen anything like this around here,” said a resident who preferred to remain anonymous.
Civil and Military Police teams are conducting investigations in several regions of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, searching for clues that will lead to the perpetrators of the crime. Security cameras, statements and field investigations are being used to reconstruct the victims’ steps before the murder.
Authorities ask that any relevant information be reported anonymously through the reporting channel. “The community’s collaboration is essential to elucidate this barbaric crime and bring the guilty parties to justice,” emphasized Inspector Sousa.
