As of Tuesday (17/06), 78 municipal buses have been vandalized across the South and East Zones of São Paulo, with incidents also recorded in Mauá. In one case, a bus carrying passengers was struck by a rock on Avenida João Ramalho, causing panic but no injuries. Most attacks involved smashing windows and rear panels. At least six incidents are under police investigation, though the motive remains unclear.
On Tuesday (17/06), residents of Paraisópolis, South Zone, reported a rise in drug users following the recent clearing of the city center’s Cracolândia. Around 15 makeshift shacks have been set up in the favela, forming a new gathering point for addicts. Locals have reported petty thefts, prompting nearby buildings to increase private security. City officials said 117 outreach efforts and 39 referrals to health and social services were made in May. The municipal guard increased patrols, while the state government claims a 30% drop in thefts in the area from January to April.
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01/06/2025 – A 45-year-old motorcyclist was shot and killed on Sunday (01/06), at a gas station on Estrada Turística do Jaraguá, in the northern zone of São Paulo. He had been chased by two criminals on a motorcycle after one of them pointed a gun at the couple on Rodovia Anhanguera and fired shots. The victim sought refuge at the gas station but was shot while attempting to pursue the assailants on foot. The attackers fled without taking the motorcycle.
02/06/2025 – On Monday night (02/06), two municipal guards were shot while confronting three suspects attempting to break into a house in Morumbi, an upscale neighborhood in South São Paulo. The homeowner alerted the authorities after hearing noise from the electric fence. Upon arrival, the guards spotted the suspects and their vehicle outside the residence on Praça Vitória Régia. The assailants opened fire and fled.
04/06/2025 – On Wednesday (04/06), a 57-year-old engineer was shot dead in his home during a robbery in Vila Nova Conceição, an upscale neighborhood in South São Paulo. Four criminals allegedly cloned the gate remote to enter the house and stole jewelry and watches. The victim, Francisco Paulo de Sebe Filippo, offered no resistance, according to police. The suspects fled in a car, which they later abandoned after crashing it into a tree.
04/06/2025 – On Wednesday (04/06), a man held his wife hostage for over four hours in their home in Butantã, West Zone, threatening her with a knife. The standoff began after a family dispute, and the suspect appeared to be under the influence of a substance. Military police from the Special Tactical Actions Group (GATE) intervened after failed negotiations. They used a targeted explosive to subdue the suspect when he was briefly separated from the victim. No one was injured, and the man was arrested.
04/06/2025 – On Wednesday (04/06), Corinthians football player Cacá was robbed at gunpoint while driving in the Tatuapé neighborhood, East Zone. Two armed men stole his phone as he was heading to a training session. The incident took place amid a 25% rise in robberies in the area between January and April 2025 compared to the same period last year, with 466 cases recorded by the 30th Police Precinct. The number of thefts also rose by nearly 24% in the same timeframe.
05/06/2025 – On Thursday (05/06), three violent altercations between students and teachers broke out at Deputado Shiro Kyono State School, located in the Conjunto Habitacional Teotônio Vilela, East Zone. A teacher was hit in the head with a stone and taken to the hospital, while a student also sustained minor injuries. Videos show students violently beating a peer already on the ground.
06/06/2025 – On Friday night (06/06), three people were shot dead in two separate incidents in Capão Redondo, South Zone, about 40 minutes apart. The first victim, a 40-year-old man, was found dead around 22:00 on Rua Diamante Verde with multiple gunshot wounds. At 22:41, two people were shot by individuals on motorcycles on Avenida Dom Rodrigo Sanches. Both victims died in hospital. No arrests have been made so far.
08/06/2025 – On Sunday (08/06), a brawl between U-17 players from São Paulo FC’s social club and match referees broke out at Clube Banespa, in Santo Amaro, South Zone, after a goal was disallowed during stoppage time. The incident ended in the 11th Police District, where four teenagers’ guardians and the referees filed a report. The players involved are not part of the club’s official youth system.
08/06/2025 – On Sunday (08/06), around 14:30, a gang robbery was caught on security camera in front of a nursing home on Rua Lacedemônia, in the Vila Alexandria neighborhood, South Zone. Seven suspects surrounded a parked car and robbed its two occupants as they arrived to visit a resident. The assailants opened the car doors, stole personal belongings, and fled. Police are still searching for the suspects, and no arrests have been made so far.
09/06/2025 – On Monday (09/06), police in São Paulo arrested a man accused of participating in the 2018 execution of Rogério Jeremias de Simone (“Gegê do Mangue”) and Fabiano Alves de Souza (“Paca”), high-ranking leaders of the PCC criminal organization. The arrest took place in the Penha district, East Zone of São Paulo. The victims were shot dead on 15 February 2018, in an Indigenous area near Fortaleza. According to investigators, they were killed by fellow PCC members for embezzling faction funds.
10/06/2025 – On Tuesday night (10/06), police dismantled a fake banking call center operating out of a residence in Lauzane Paulista, North Zone. Two suspects, aged 24 and 27, were arrested after officers on patrol noticed suspicious activity at the location. The men posed as bank employees, calling victims across the country and tricking them into providing personal data and passwords. With the stolen credentials, they accessed accounts to make transfers and loans. Police seized three computers, two card machines, cell phones, and records of over 1,000 victims.
11/06/2025 – On Wednesday (11/06), 160 kilograms of cocaine were smuggled into the restricted area of Guarulhos International Airport, through an access point near a nearby favela. The traffickers used three 55-kilo packages and reportedly deployed drones to track police patrols. The presence of drones led to a 46-minute suspension of airport operations, causing 6 flight cancellations and affecting 35 others. The Federal Police seized the drugs, but the suspects escaped.
12/06/2025 – On Thursday morning (12/06), an off-duty military police officer shot and killed a robbery suspect who had attempted to assault a businessman near Parque do Povo, in the upscale Itaim Bibi neighborhood, South Zone. The bandit, riding a motorcycle, approached the businessman, who was inside a red Corvette valued at R$1.2 million, and demanded his watch. The officer, who was part of the businessman’s escort and driving behind him, intervened and responded with gunfire.
18/06/2025 – On Wednesday (18/06), former dentist Marco Antônio Botelho Soares was indicted in São Paulo for charlatanism, unauthorized medical practice, and ideological falsehood. Despite having his license revoked in 2019, he continued promoting courses on “nano hormonal modulation,” a method with no scientific backing. He falsely claimed to be a PhD student in gynecology at Unifesp and had previously been arrested in Porto Alegre (2019) and Recife (2024).
20/06/2025 – On Friday (20/06), a man was arrested in Parque Novo Mundo, North Zone, after breaking into a home and taking five family members hostage. One relative escaped and alerted the police, who rescued four victims. A 19-year-old autistic man was held in a locked room until the Special Tactical Actions Group (GATE) negotiated his release. The suspect demanded a relative’s presence and surrendered after his brother arrived.
20/06/2025 – In São Paulo’s downtown Luz district, on Friday (20/06), footage surfaced showing a violent police approach against a 69-year-old Chinese street vendor. Four military police officers tried to seize her produce cart, prompting her to resist and lie on the ground. In the altercation, one officer kicked her cart after she threw it in his direction. The state Public Security Secretariat acknowledged the officers’ actions violated protocol. In April, a Senegalese vendor was fatally shot by police during a similar street enforcement incident.
20/06/2025 – A man was arrested on Friday morning (20/06), after taking a family hostage in their home in Parque Novo Mundo, in São Paulo’s northern zone. Among the victims was a 19-year-old autistic youth, who was locked in a room by the suspect. The standoff began around 7:00 when the man was caught jumping over the property wall. Military police freed three family members while the suspect kept the young man confined, attempting to negotiate. The Special Tactical Actions Group (GAET) was called in and, with the help of the suspect’s brother, secured the teens’ release and the man’s surrender.
21/06/2025 – A 29-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly stabbing her partner to death in their apartment in Vila Mariana, São Paulo, on Saturday (21/06). She told the police he had been aggressive and threatened her. Neighbors reported hearing the man cry for help before collapsing in the corridor. He had multiple stab wounds and died at the scene.
24/06/2025 – During a forced eviction in the early morning of Tuesday (24/06), in Pirituba, North Zone, residents set fire to a car to block Military Police from removing families from an occupied area on Rua Capela da Lagoa. The vehicle was used as a barricade, prompting the police to respond with tear gas. The protest escalated as officers were met with stones thrown by residents. At least one person required medical attention due to gas inhalation. The Shock Troop unit was also deployed to control the unrest.
24/06/2025 – Four armed men broke into a mansion on Rua República Dominicana in São Paulo’s Morumbi neighborhood, on Tuesday morning (24/06), tying up six hostages, including a 71-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman, and stealing watches, jewelry, and foreign currency. The thieves jumped the back wall to access the property, restrained the victims in a room, and made off with R$ 3 million worth of valuables, including €2,000 and US$2,000. One victim later managed to free himself and alert the authorities.
25/06/2025 – In São Paulo, on Wednesday (25/06), two civil police officers and a former Formula Truck driver were arrested during “Operação Augusta” for allegedly leaking confidential police information in exchange for bribes. The Federal Police seized cash, firearms, and a helicopter during raids across the capital and coastal city of Praia Grande. The suspects are accused of irregularly closing investigations, sharing protected data, and attempting to recover seized assets using falsified documents.
28/06/2025 – Two wheels from the official vehicle of São Paulo state legislator Gil Diniz (PL) were stolen last Saturday (28) at the Vila Alpina Cemetery, in Vila Prudente, East Zone. The deputy was attending a funeral and discovered the theft upon returning to his car. He criticized the cemetery’s security, claiming there were no functioning cameras and poor lighting. The cemetery’s administrator, Velar, stated that 15 cameras are currently installed, with plans to add more, and confirmed that the deputy will be reimbursed. The Civil Police are investigating, and the vehicle remains at the police station pending forensic analysis.
28/06/2025 – A longstanding feud between neighbors in northern São Paulo ended in extreme violence on Saturday (28), with two men injured and two brothers arrested for attempted murder. The conflict, in Jardim Adelfiore (Perus), escalated after two intoxicated men reportedly insulted the brothers’ father. One victim was shot in the leg; the other was struck in the head and face with a shovel, including while unconscious. The suspects were charged with attempted double homicide and illegal possession of a restricted firearm. The weapon was found at their home and allegedly acquired 13 years ago.
28/06/2025 – An off-duty military police officer exchanged gunfire with an armed robber on Saturday night (28) in Pinheiros, West Zone. The suspect, who tried to rob the officer and his wife while they were walking, was shot and fled without stealing anything. He was later arrested at a hospital in Carapicuíba after being identified by the victims. The officer sustained minor injuries; his wife was unharmed. The suspect was charged with attempted robbery and placed in preventive detention.
28/06/2025 – A man was assaulted by members of a Palmeiras supporters’ group on Saturday night (28) at Tamanduateí station, on CPTM’s Line 10-Turquoise in Vila Independência, East Zone. Video footage shows at least six individuals surrounding and attacking the victim with punches and kicks on the platform. The motive remains unknown. Despite being offered medical assistance by station security, the victim declined. No police report was filed as of the latest update, and the attackers have not yet been officially identified.
29/06/2025 – A traffic enforcement officer from São Paulo’s CET was arrested Sunday night (29) in the city center after crashing an official vehicle while driving under the influence. Witnesses reported seeing the agent, Edson Freire Vieira Junior, leave a bar intoxicated before colliding with a parked car in the Bela Vista neighborhood. The car’s owner removed the vehicle key to prevent his escape until the police arrived. The officer showed clear signs of intoxication and was charged with drunk driving. As a first-time offender with no injuries or major damage caused, he was granted a R$6,000 bail, which was not paid, so he remains in custody. CET has launched an internal investigation.
29/06/2025 – Adriano Ramos Pedreira, a 37-year-old advertising professional, died on Sunday (29), three weeks after being assaulted and robbed on a pedestrian overpass in Barra Funda, West São Paulo. On June 8, he was attacked by criminals who stole his phone and beat him unconscious near the CPTM tracks by the Moinho favela. Though he initially returned home, he later fell ill and was hospitalized in a coma for 20 days before passing away. The case is under investigation as a robbery by the Cerco unit of São Paulo’s Civil Police.
30/06/2025 – Residents of an informal occupation under the Viaduto Nove de Julho in downtown São Paulo protested after being barred from returning to the site following a fire on Monday (30). The blaze, which started at the building’s entrance, was quickly controlled, but the Civil Defense evacuated the structure and declared it unsafe. In response, residents blocked Avenida Nove de Julho and set up tents on the sidewalk. While the city offered temporary housing in social hotels, the protesters refused, demanding the right to return. The site, once used for technical courses, had been occupied since it was vacated in 2019.
30/06/2025 – Heraldo Lopes Guimarães, known as Pai Guimarães de Ogum, a 61-year-old Umbanda priest, was arrested for the second time on Monday (30) at a residence in São Miguel Paulista, East Zone, by order of the São Paulo Court. Accused of raping six female followers during spiritual sessions between 2011 and 2016, he will serve his detention under house arrest due to health issues. The charges include four counts of rape of vulnerable persons and two of rape with bodily harm. Victims report psychological manipulation and abuse under the guise of spiritual rituals. Guimarães denies all accusations and has not yet been tried.
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 República. Monitor the local media 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.
- Pay attention when walking downtown, especially in Liberdade and Sé districts, and on Rua 25 de Março.
- At night, these regions are no-go zones.
- Considering the high crime rate of some locations in São Paulo, business travelers, and expatriates should comply with security rules to reduce the risks linked to violent crimes.
- In case of an assault, it is strictly recommended not to resist and avoid making any abrupt movement that may irritate criminals, who do not hesitate to open fire.
- Avoid, if possible, circulating through the neighborhoods in the East and North Zones, and peripheral neighborhoods in other zones due to the high rates of various crimes.
- 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 and violent aggressions. Hence, avoid walking around with your cell phone in your hand, in addition to wearing jewels and expensive watches.
- As sexual aggressions are on the rise, women should pay special attention to the environments where they go to, avoid empty and dark places.
- During a night out, never accept food and beverages from strangers, as they can put some drugs in them. Men and women alike are targets of such crimes.
- Attention to the windows when inside a vehicle. Keep them closed, as criminals use heavy traffic to rob passengers with exposed valuables, like a cell phone.
- Attention to scams that may reach you through a WhatsApp message, e-mail, SMS, or a call.
- Be careful when trying to meet new people on the internet, as criminals use dating apps and social networks to assault you and apply scams.
- The number of express kidnappings is still high.
- Criminals use violence to make their victims transfer all their money via PIX.
- Cooperate to mitigate the risk of violence.
- Keep in mind useful numbers: Emergency police number (190), and São Paulo tourist Police (+55 11 3120 4417).
