Joaquim Antunes Street in Pinheiros, in São Paulo’s West Zone, has registered four armed robberies within just 40 days. The address has already drawn national attention earlier this year when tourist Vitor Rocha e Silva, 23, a graduate in international relations from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, was murdered in January while reacting to an attempted robbery in the same location. Residents and business owners in the area report growing concern as the recurring assaults show that even an upscale neighborhood is not immune to urban violence.
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Most Recent Case
The most recent crime occurred on Thursday night (11/09), shortly before 22:00, when two people walking along the street were confronted by an armed robber. Security camera footage shows the assailant parking his motorcycle before approaching the victims. During the assault, one of the victims began to feel unwell and fainted. The companion rushed to provide assistance while the robber observed the situation.After a few minutes, the criminal returned calmly to his motorcycle and left the scene. The entire incident lasted about four minutes, and left residents alarmed at the brazenness of the action.
Other Crimes
This episode is part of a broader pattern. On 30 August, a 23-year-old man had his phone stolen in a nearly identical robbery on the same street. He was forced at gunpoint to surrender not only the device but also its password before the robber fled. Earlier in the month, two other robberies occurred within meters of each other. On 2 August, around 17:30, cameras captured a man carrying a baby being targeted by an armed motorcyclist. Just three days later, on 5 August, at practically the same address, the same approach was used once more, confirming a methodical modus operandi in the area.
Drop in Robberies
The Public Security Department of São Paulo (SSP-SP), however, argues that the overall crime rate in the region is declining. According to the agency, robberies in the jurisdiction of the 14th Police District of Pinheiros fell 16.7% between January and July 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. In the same period, 567 suspects were arrested, and 52 illegal firearms were seized. Still, the recent series of assaults on Joaquim Antunes Street shows that statistics do not always capture the lived reality of residents who feel increasingly unsafe.
Murdered Victim
The sense of insecurity is further amplified by the memory of the tragic murder of Vitor Rocha e Silva on 23 January. He and his boyfriend, Felipe Lobato Ferreira, 25, were visiting relatives in São Paulo when they were confronted by an armed robber on a motorcycle. Although they handed over their phones, they refused to provide the passwords. The two resisted, and a struggle ensued. A second assailant then appeared on another motorcycle and opened fire. The attackers fled with the stolen devices, leaving Silva fatally wounded. He was rushed to medical care but did not survive.
Analysis:
The recent robberies on Joaquim Antunes Street, in Pinheiros, show how urban violence can concentrate in specific locations and weaken the sense of security even in upscale areas. Although official statistics indicate a decline in robberies in the region, the repeated incidents at the same address and with the same modus operandi suggest that criminals are exploiting predictable vulnerabilities. The boldness of the assaults — even against victims in fragile situations — indicates that offenders perceive a low risk of being caught, reinforcing the daily insecurity felt by residents and business owners.
The January case, in which 23-year-old Vitor Rocha e Silva was killed after resisting a robbery, intensifies this climate of fear and makes a crucial point: reacting to an assault can escalate a theft into a fatal outcome. The disproportionate violence employed by criminals shows that preserving life must always be the priority.
Sources: A Folha de SP.
