03/08/2023 – The flutist Jônatas Monteiro, from the Municipal Orchestras of Guarulhos, was found dead under a car, on Monday (03/08), at dawn, in the Bela Vista neighborhood, in the center of São Paulo. Footage from security cameras shows a car passing at high speed along Rua Conselheiro Ramalho and the 28-year-old being thrown under a vehicle that was parked there. The suspect was arrested accused of robbery followed by death.
06/08/2023 – Two armed men invaded a gas station early on Sunday (06/08), in Campo Limpo, in the South Zone of São Paulo. Security cameras recorded the moment they enter the convenience store and shoot the security guard there. According to the incident report, the victim was hit in the ear. He was taken to Campo Limpo Hospital, where he remains hospitalized.
09/08/2023 – Bandits pretended to be customers to rob a bank branch in Iguatemi, in the East Zone. They surrendered employees and customers and fled taking the money from the service boxes and two guns from the guards.
09/08/2023 – Two criminals were arrested after robbing a father and daughter leaving a condominium on Rua Roma, in Lapa, West Zone. Monitoring cameras show the moment when the duo approaches the vehicle and announces the robbery threatening the two with a gun. In a few seconds, the victims are forced to get out of the car and hand over their belongings. According to the Military Police, criminals were located with the vehicle and arrested after a pursuit.
09/08/2023 – A 34-year-old engineer was shot dead after being robbed in the Cidade Líder region, East Zone. Security cameras in the region recorded the moment he travelled along Avenida Itaquera on his motorcycle. Seconds later, the criminals, on a second motorcycle, approach and announce the robbery. Upon noticing the approach, the engineer gets out of his vehicle, raises his hands, and walks away from the motorcycle. But he is still shot.
11/08/2023 – A man who robbed high-end apartments in São Paulo was arrested. Several objects belonging to the victims were seized from him. The woman, who according to the police, acted with him, is being sought. According to the police, he gained access to the buildings by renting apartments on a vacation rental app.
11/08/2023 – A 34-year-old lawyer had his drink spiked by a group in a bar in Lapa, West Zone, and had his backpack with a notebook, headphones, cell phone and wallet with bank cards taken, in addition to R$ 15,000 withdrawn from his account. The victim said he left work and went to the bar unaccompanied for a beer. As it was an open bar and it started to rain, three men offered him a place at their table. He says he blacked out and woke up in the same place, but without his belongings.
13/08/2023 – Five criminals stole a car in the Jabaquara region, South Zone. Security circuit footage recorded the moment the driver was overtaken by the car where the criminals were. Three criminals announce the robbery and force the driver to get out of the car.
14/08/2023 – One criminal was shot, and another fled after the Military Police caught a mass robbery in Campo Limpo, South Zone. Security cameras caught the crime. With the injured, 12 cell phones and a gun were seized. The duo, on a motorcycle, with a theft complaint, had been carrying out robberies for a few days in the region. At around 22:40, a team spotted a group of people who were victims of criminals on Rua Professor Oscar Campiglia. Officers quickly disembarked from the vehicle and a shooting began.
15/08/2023 – A woman had her car robbed in front of her house in the South Zone of São Paulo. She was standing in a white car alone in front of her house when two criminals approached. The criminals and the victim started to argue. She took a while to get out of the vehicle, and when she did, she threw her purse over the front gate so that the criminals would not steal it.
15/08/2023 – A joint operation by São Paulo’s security forces ended in confusion and chaos in the Cracolândia region, in downtown São Paulo. According to the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP-SP), the action was carried out by the Civil and Military Police, in addition to the Metropolitan Civil Guard. The purpose of the operation was to increase the safety of residents and traders. Three people were arrested for drug trafficking.
16/08/2023 – A 54-year-old store security guard was killed during a robbery in the Cracolândia region, in downtown São Paulo. According to witnesses, he was attacked with a knife when he refused to hand over his backpack to the criminal. The assailant would be a drug user who lives on the streets of the region.
18/08/2023 – A 29-year-old man was kidnapped in the North Zone after arriving at the place where he was supposed to meet a woman, he met on a dating app. Security camera footage shows the moment the victim is surprised by three criminals and threatened with a gun. He was taken into captivity and the bandits left with his car to commit other crimes. The police received an anonymous tip and found the criminals. A chase ensued, with a shooting.
21/08/2023 – A man, victim of a robbery, was arrested for illegally carrying a firearm in Pirituba, North Zone. A security circuit caught the robbery when several people were sitting in front of a wine cellar on Avenida Raimundo Pereira de Magalhães, when two armed criminals approached the boy. The robbery victim claimed to the police that he had a collector’s license to carry weapons, but this was a lie, and he was arrested.
22/08/2023 – A man was assaulted by São Paulo Metro security guards at Tucuruvi station, North Zone. A video recorded by witnesses shows the moment of the attacks. According to witnesses, the man who was attacked is homeless and collects recycling materials. The images show the moment when the man is approached by three security guards at the station. Then the man is pushed and falls. He gets up and is attacked with a truncheon by one of the security guards.
23/08/2023 – Two men were arrested after making a mass robbery in Moema, South Zone. At least 10 pedestrians were attacked. According to the police, the criminals robbed the victims in just 11 minutes. After recording the occurrences, police officers were able to locate the criminals after tracking the cell phone of one of the victims. They were found on Avenida Roberto Marinho and there was a police chase. Stolen cell phones and cards were recovered.
24/08/2023 – A 40-year-old was rescued by the police after being held hostage by criminals for almost 24 hours in Jardim Panorama, West Zone. According to the victim, she was having dinner with friends in the Pinheiros region on Wednesday (23/08), when she was surprised by two armed men as she returned to her car. One of the criminals took the victim off the wheel and put her in the back seat. Criminals wanted money, bank password, app password and cell phone password. The damage was estimated at more than R$ 40,000. A Military Police team went to the scene after an anonymous tip. The victim was rescued, but three men managed to escape.
24/08/2023 – Civil Police arrested four criminals who broke into houses in Itaim Bibi and Pinheiros, both in the West Zone. Jewels, money, and valuables would have been stolen from the houses. Police did not say how many properties were invaded. In the vehicle, where the criminals were, had false license plates and was stolen from one of the broken-in houses, police claim to have found two large tools which were used to break into the houses and a firearm simulacrum. In addition to dollars and pesos.
27/08/2023 – A group of 17 armed men invaded a condominium of houses in Jardim Paulistano, South Zone. The bandits took jewelry, cars, cell phones and money from residents. They arrived at the scene around 3h30, overpowered the doorman and then invaded two homes. Residents reported that all the robbers wore masks and radio communicators and that some people were taken hostage in the janitor’s room. The gang would have taken R$ 3 million in jewelry. The criminals fled in stolen cars.
28/08/2023 – A caretaker was found dead, with signs of aggression with sticks, inside a residence on Rua Joaquim Nabuco, in Brooklin, South Zone. The victim had been missing for days. His body was located after family members were unable to contact him and triggered the Military Police (PM). So far there are no details about the dynamics or the perpetrators of the crime.
30/08/2023 – Security cameras recorded the moment when three armed men robbed a clothing store in Vila Joaniza, South Zone. The bandits entered the store and robbed employees and customers. According to the store owner, while customers and employees were being held hostage, one of the criminals shot the security guard, who was grazed in the leg. Military police officers who were in the region heard the shot, went to the store, and managed to arrest the three bandits.
30/08/2023 – Two men were found dead, one inside and the other outside a shelter in Barra Funda, West Zone. Both cases were registered as suspicious deaths and there is still no information about the identity of the victims. A third man, who was also in that shelter, was taken to hospital. The Civil Police is investigating.
31/08/2023 – An army soldier was shot in the south zone of São Paulo. According to witnesses, two men in a vehicle approached the soldier’s vehicle and started firing shots. The victim was going to a shooting range. The Military Police are investigating whether it was an attempted robbery or an attempted murder.
TRENDS & ADVICE
- Stay away from any protest most likely to occur in the city center, including Avenida Paulista, the MASP, Praça do Ciclista, Praça da Sé, Largo da Batata and Praça da Republica.
- Monitor the local media in order to circumvent protest locations, including social media.
- If caught in a demonstration: remain still and take the time to see which way the crowd is going; attempt to leave the area by going against the movement of the crowd; avoid using your mobile phone, taking pictures or filming the demonstration; go to the nearest building as soon as possible and wait until the situation clears; try to avoid contact with security forces if possible.
- Considering the high crime rate in São Paulo, business travelers and expatriates should comply with safety rules in order to reduce the risk linked to violent crime. In case of an assault, it is strictly recommended not to resist the attackers and avoid making any sharp movement that may irritate the assailants, who do not hesitate to open fire.
- Avoid, if possible, circulating through the neighborhoods in the East Zone due to the high rates of various crimes.
- Pay attention when trying to meet new people on the internet as criminals use the dating app and social networks to apply scams.
- Due to several police operations, drug users previously concentrated in a region called “Cracolândia” have spread across downtown, leading to an increase in petty crimes. Hence, avoid walking around with your cell phone in your hand, in addition to wearing jewels and expensive watches.
- The number of express kidnappings has increased lately due to a new method (PIX) that allows people to easily transfer money using bank apps. Cooperate in order to mitigate the risk of violence.
- Attention to the windows when inside a vehicle. Keep them closed, as criminals use heavy traffic to rob passengers that expose valuables.
- Keep in mind useful numbers: Emergency police number (190), and São Paulo tourist Police (+55 11 3120 4447).
