The Brazilian public has been enthralled and more than slightly concerned by news of a police manhunt in the country’s Center-West region, tailing a violent rampage killer. Over the last 10 days, 32-year-old Lázaro Barbosa de Souza has murdered four people, wounded another three, taken more than ten hostages, held an armed standoff with the police, and torched vehicles and homes.
Residents on the outskirts of capital city Brasília and the state of Goiás have been through several sleepless nights, fearing that they could be Mr. Barbosa’s next target.
The police chase began on June 9, when Mr. Barbosa invaded a country house in the rural suburbs of Brasília, murdering a 48-year old business owner and his two children, aged 15 and 21. The children’s mother was held hostage.
The following morning, the rampage killer broke into another home, holding the housekeepers at gunpoint while he forced them to smoke cannabis and cook him food. Before fleeing, he stole the victim’s cell phones and BRL 200 (USD 40) in cash.
The next day, on the run from the police, Mr. Barbosa stole a vehicle and held another person hostage. He set off in the direction of Cocalzinho, a poor and underdeveloped city in the state of Goiás. He torched his getaway car.
On Saturday, residents in the town of Ceilândia found the body of a woman Mr. Barbosa had kidnapped days before. Naked, she had been left in a nearby stream. One of her ears had been cut off.
As they found the body, the local police received a disturbance call in the rural outskirts of Cocalzinho. Mr. Barbosa had broken into another country home, holding the housekeeper hostage and torching his vehicle.
Before he could be apprehended, Mr. Barbosa managed to escape. Hours later, another call: he had broken into another home, shot...
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