01/05/2025 – On the night of Thursday (01), on Avenida Portugal, in Brooklin, Zona Sul, a 51-year-old man with a CAC (collector, shooter, and hunter) license fatally shot two assailants during a robbery. One of the criminals had previously been under investigation for the murder of a police chief. The CAC claimed he reacted after one of the robbers fired at him and his son. Although the man was not hit, he returned fire, killing both suspects. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm in a public place.
04/05/2025 – On Sunday (04), a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed during a robbery on Rua Cristóvão Benitez, in Itaim Paulista, East Zone. He was with his cousin when two suspects on a motorcycle announced the robbery and shot him shortly after he handed over his phone. The crime, captured by a security camera, lasted just 7 seconds. The case was registered as robbery followed by death. The suspects fled, and no arrests have been made so far.
This Content Is Only For Subscribers
To unlock this content, subscribe to INTERLIRA Reports.
04/05/2025 – On Sunday early morning (04), a 47-year-old night watchman, was run over and killed on Rua Coimbra, in Brás, central São Paulo. Security footage shows a red Fiat Palio hitting him while he walked along the curb; the driver fled without offering help, with the victim’s cap visibly stuck to the hood. The vehicle was seen circulating nearby with at least two people inside. The case is being investigated by the 30th Police District as manslaughter and hit-and-run.
06/05/2025 – On Tuesday (6), a 48-year-old woman was kidnapped during a carjacking on Rua México in Jardim Paulista, Zona Sul. Armed suspects entered her vehicle, attempted bank transfers using her phone, and later released her in Taboão da Serra. The stolen car was recovered, and the 37th DP (Campo Limpo) is leading the investigation. No arrests have been made so far; the case is under investigation as armed robbery and false imprisonment.
07/05/2025 – On Wednesday morning (7), a military police officer was shot inside a patrol car during an armed attack in Jardim Iguatemi, East Zone. The suspects, traveling in a bulletproof vehicle with a cloned license plate, fired rifle shots at the police car on Avenida Bento Guelfi, injuring a PM sergeant in the head. The wounded officer was hospitalized in stable condition. The attackers abandoned their car on Rua Vilza and fled. The incident is being investigated as a targeted attack, with attempted homicide among the likely charges.
07/05/2025 – On Wednesday (7), police in São Paulo launched an operation targeting a criminal group accused of purchasing stolen gold and jewelry worth R$ 2 million. The suspects are under investigation for receiving stolen goods and potential money laundering. In January and February alone, 1,333 wedding rings and other jewels were stolen in the capital, a 56% increase from the same period in 2024. The operation executed 21 search warrants and one arrest warrant across five cities, including São Paulo and Campinas. The investigation is led by the DEIC’s financial fraud division.
07/05/2025 – On Wednesday (7), a man suspected of drug trafficking was shot by military police inside the Santa Cecília Metro station, in Santa Cecilia, West Zone, after fleeing a stop near the 77th Police District. He abandoned his motorcycle and entered the station, where he allegedly resisted arrest and was shot in the leg during a struggle. No passengers were injured. The suspect was taken to Santa Casa Hospital and will be arrested upon discharge. He faces charges related to drug trafficking and resisting arrest.
07/05/2025 – On Wednesday (7), a dangerous fugitive from the state of Acre was arrested in Jardim das Carmélias, Zona Leste. He was on the run since his progression to semi-open regime with electronic monitoring, he continued to lead PCC operations in Acre, including ordering murders. He had been convicted in 2014 for drug trafficking, homicide, and criminal organization, and sentenced to 21 years in prison. He is expected to be transferred back to Acre shortly.
08/05/2025 – On Thursday (8), in São Paulo, a 48-year-old motorcyclist was arrested for sexual harassment after being filmed making obscene gestures toward a woman at a traffic light on Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, central region of São Paulo. The video, shared online in March, led five additional victims to come forward with similar allegations. Police seized the suspect’s delivery gear and motorcycle, and a judge issued a preventive detention order. He is accused of multiple acts of sexual harassment in traffic across the city.
08/05/2025 – On Thursday (8), in Cidade Tiradentes, East Zone, two men were killed, one injured, and police deployed armored vehicles after a military police officer was shot the day before on Avenida Bento Guelfi. The main suspect, Edmilson Barreto de Oliveira, accused of killing another officer in 2015, was shot dead by ROTA agents during a confrontation. Another death occurred Wednesday night in the Colorado community, also during a police operation. Residents reported fear and tension, with accusations of excessive force. The case is under investigation.
09/05/2025 – On Friday (9), Fernanda Fazio, ex-wife of murdered teacher Fernanda Bonin, surrendered to police and was arrested in Perdizes, West Zone. She is accused of ordering Bonin’s killing, allegedly out of jealousy. Bonin, 42, was found strangled on April 28 in a vacant lot near the Interlagos racetrack in South São Paulo. A man suspected of abandoning her car has already been arrested, and two other suspects—believed to be the executors—are also under investigation. The case is being handled by the Homicide and Personal Protection Department.
07/05/2025 – On Wednesday (07/05), a man broke into a condominium in Lapa, West Zone, where the state’s Public Security Secretary, Guilherme Derrite, resides, and stole a luxury vehicle. The thief took a black Volvo, along with a bicycle and the electronic module of a BMW motorcycle. He found the car key placed on a tire, started the vehicle, and exited the garage unnoticed. The car was found two days later in São Miguel Paulista, East Zone.
09/05/2025 – On Friday (09/05), in the Perdizes neighborhood, West Zone, a 44-year-old woman was verbally assaulted and sprayed in the face with pepper spray during a traffic altercation. According to the police report, the suspect, driving a luxury vehicle, insulted the woman with gendered slurs and used the spray when she tried to film the incident.
10/05/2025 – On Saturday (10/05), in Paraisópolis, South Zone, a 19-year-old man was shot and killed by military police officers during an anti-drug operation. According to the police report, the incident is classified as resisting arrest. During the search, officers found a firearm, drugs, cell phones, a knife, backpacks, and notebooks containing drug trafficking records near him.
11/05/2025 – On Sunday (11/05), a man identified as a key leader of the criminal faction First Capital Command (PCC) was arrested in Água Rasa, East Zone. Fugitive since 2017 following a drug trafficking conviction, he was captured by ROTA units during an operation targeting organized crime. According to police, he coordinated the faction’s drug trafficking operations across the state, overseeing logistics from supply to distribution. Two cell phones were seized.
13/05/2025 – On Tuesday (13/05), around 07:00, eight armed men stormed the Condomínio Edifício Cosmopolitan on Rua Doutor Gabriel dos Santos, in Higienópolis, a high-end neighborhood in downtown São Paulo. Using a car with a cloned license plate from a resident, they entered the garage, held staff and residents hostages, and carried out a home invasion. At least seven apartments were robbed, with watches, jewelry, cell phones, and cash stolen from nine victims. Two vehicles used in the crime were later found by police.
14/05/2025 – On Wednesday (14/05), the Favela do Moinho in downtown São Paulo was surrounded by the Military Police shock troops, despite the federal government suspending the transfer of the land to the state government. Officers seized two firearms, drugs, cash, and radios from an abandoned house. The only access point to the favela was blocked, with residents allowed to leave but prevented from returning. A sniffer dog indicated the presence of narcotics.
14/05/2025 – On Wednesday (14/05), an alleged leader of a criminal faction operating in Camaçari (Metropolitan Region of Salvador, Bahia), was arrested in a luxury penthouse in Vila Leopoldina, West Zone. He was the subject of three arrest warrants. According to police, he is involved in drug and arms trafficking, homicides, kidnappings, money laundering, robbery, and the corruption of minors. He had previously been arrested in 2017 in Ceará but was later released. Cash, gold, cell phones, and fake documents were seized during the operation.
15/05/2025 – On Thursday (15/05), around 14:00, a 65-year-old man was violently pulled from his car by two armed criminals on Avenida Itaboraí, in the Saúde neighborhood, South Zone. The criminals stole his wallet and cellphone, throwing him to the ground during the attack, which was recorded by a witness. The suspects acted aggressively and fled on foot after failing to steal the vehicle.
18/05/2025 – On Sunday (18/05), a man was beaten by three military police officers during a stop in Jardim das Imbuias, South Zone. A video recorded by a witness shows the man lying on the ground while officers kick him and strike him repeatedly with batons. One officer watches, armed, without intervening. Following the video’s release, the officers were removed from duty and summoned by the PM’s Internal Affairs.
18/05/2025 – A 19-year-old man was shot dead during a military police operation on Sunday night (18/05) in Vila Andrade, South Zone. According to the family, he had gone to buy medicine for his mother and fled from the police only because he was without a helmet and a license. Relatives say officers from the Rocam unit entered the house and shot him after he had already gone inside. The case sparked a protest on Monday night (19/05).
19/05/2025 – A man was arrested on Monday night (19/05) in the Santo Amaro neighborhood, suspected of killing his former partner in the Parque Santo Antônio neighborhood, both in the South Zone. The suspect, José Carlos Gonçalves, had been hiding in a wooded area after the crime, committed on Saturday (17/05), and later sought refuge at a relative’s house. His own family took him to the police station, where he was arrested.
20/05/2025 – Four armed criminals broke into a closed shooting club on Tuesday night (20/05) in Jaraguá, North Zone, and stole 30 pistols from a safe. They ambushed the owner’s son, forced him to open the safe, and shot him in the hand during his attempt to resist. The suspects fled into his car. They also stole the club’s security footage and equipment. Police believe the criminals had prior knowledge of the gun storage.
22/05/2025 – On Thursday (22/05), São Paulo police arrested a man accused of receiving bank transfers made under duress by a 45-year-old woman who was kidnapped in March from the parking lot of a Cobasi pet store in the Morumbi neighborhood. During the abduction, the victim was forced to transfer money via Pix and card payments. The suspect, identified as the recipient of the funds and their distributor among the criminals, was already the subject of a temporary arrest warrant. One of the kidnappers was shot and killed by police during a chase, while another escaped.
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).
