A 33-year-old Brazilian man under investigation for a string of killings has been arrested in Paraíba after police said he attempted to evade a manhunt disguised as a woman and carrying a toddler who was not his.
Jorlan Lopes da Silva was arrested in Mulungu, in the northeastern state, on Sunday, September 13, following a joint operation involving the Civil Police, Military Police and intelligence officers from Brazil’s Federal Highway Police.
Investigators have linked Lopes da Silva to 16 homicides in the Vale do Mamanguape region, with the killings occurring over a period of about three months. Brazilian media reports said the investigation had gathered evidence connecting him to the cases, although authorities are still working to establish the full extent of his alleged involvement.
Brandspur Brand News reports that the arrest followed an operation lasting more than 30 hours as officers searched for Lopes da Silva after he allegedly attempted to escape. Police said he was found wearing women’s clothing and a wig while carrying the young child.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he had killed about 80 people during his lifetime and claimed his first killing occurred when he was 13. That figure has not been independently established by investigators, who have so far formally connected him to a smaller number of killings.
Brazilian reports said Lopes da Silva is also being investigated over possible links to a criminal organisation operating in the region. Police have not treated his alleged claim of 80 killings as a confirmed death toll, and investigations are continuing to determine whether other unsolved murders can be linked to him.
The toddler found with him was unharmed, according to reports. Authorities have not publicly established why the child was in his care or how the suspect came to be carrying the child when he was arrested.
Following a custody hearing, a judge ordered Lopes da Silva to remain in detention while the investigation proceeds. He was subsequently transferred to a prison facility in João Pessoa, according to Brazilian media reports.
The case has attracted attention because of the contrast between the scale of the allegations against the suspect and the circumstances of his arrest. Police are now examining evidence from the reported killings while also seeking to verify the much larger number of deaths he claimed during questioning.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against Lopes da Silva have yet to be fully tested in court.
