Residents denounce yet another dragnet on Av. Martin Luther King Jr.; fifth case in four days | Rio de Janeiro

Rio – The 25 km of Av. Pastor Martin Luther King Jr., which cuts through six neighborhoods in the North Zone, connecting Del Castilho to Pavuna, has been the scene of several robberies. Last Thursday (28), for example, criminals carried out two raids, one in front of the 44th DP (Inhaúma). On Saturday (30), the same crime occurred at two different times. The most recent case was on Monday night (1st), when dozens of cars went the wrong way on the avenue, flashing their headlights to alert other drivers.

This Monday, according to information, bandits carried out a raid near Morro do Engenho da Rainha. On social media, a resident published a video showing several vehicles with their hazard lights on, returning in the opposite direction to Av. Pastor Martin Luther King Jr.. “Arrastão at Engenho da Rainha, towards Inhaúma. The cars returning. My God in heaven, only Jesus to protect us”, said the man.

On Saturday, two consecutive raids occurred on the avenue, near Inhaúma. The first happened around 5pm, near the community of Galinha. The second was recorded shortly afterwards, at 6:30 pm. In this, a video circulating on the internet shows a Military Police vehicle parked on the sidewalk amidst cars crossing the road. “Police there and cars going the wrong way. Nothing changes,” reported a witness at the time.

Last Thursday night, a raid took place in front of the 44th Precinct, which is located on Martin Luther King Jr.. In footage, a woman reported the tense moment. “It just happened here at the police station. Everyone was coming back and the cars were crossing the road. It’s crazy. I ran away,” she said. On the same day, at 12:20 pm, the profile Onde Tem Tiroteio (OTT) reported that there had been robberies on the avenue, near the metro station.

On social media, locals commented on the episode. “Neither police cars nor police stations intimidate these trash people,” wrote one man. “It’s not new that these problems occur at the door of the 44th Precinct,” said another.

On March 24, OTT also recorded the same crime at Martin Luther King Jr., at 11:30 am. According to the profile, the case happened, once again, close to the community of Engenho da Rainha. According to reports, bandits stole a car and shots were fired.

When contacted, the PM stated that she was not called for any of these incidents. Regarding last Saturday’s episodes, the corporation reported that “agents from the 3rd BPM (Méier) became aware of the case after the fact, and that policing was reinforced in the region.” The Civil Police reported that, to date, the “44th DP has recorded two cases of vehicle theft on Saturday. The unit is carrying out efforts to determine who committed the crimes and highlights the importance of recording the incident.” Regarding the robbery at the district’s door, the Civil Service said that “no victim went to the police station.”

Despite honoring a pacifist, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, Av. Pastor Martin Luther King Jr. presents alarming numbers of violence. In a comparison between the months of January and February this year and last year, data from the Public Security Institute (ISP) shows that there was a 73% increase in street robberies in the Inhaúma region. Vehicle theft statistics reveal an increase of 3.9%.

Woman died during attempted kidnapping

On March 21, a woman died after being shot during an attempted robbery on Avenida Pastor Martin Luther King Jr., near the Inhaúma Cemetery. The victim, Flávia Benedito Pedrosa, 30 years old, was rescued and taken to Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital, but did not survive. In the action, a man and a military police officer were injured.

Initially, the Military Police reported that a plainclothes officer responded to an attempted robbery and exchanged shots with the bandits, who fled. However, hours later, the corporation clarified that the off-duty police officer, upon noticing the action, fled his vehicle on foot, leaving his weapon inside the car. During the shooting, the PM managed to take cover and only suffered some bruises.

The police officer’s car, a red Honda Fit, collided with a white Jeep Renegade, where Flávia was. She was shot while still inside the car, which left two gunshot marks on the front window and blood on the driver’s side. Amid the shooting, a motorcyclist was scared and also had an accident, but suffered minor injuries.

According to witnesses, the woman was hit in the head. “When I saw her on the ground I thought she had fainted from the fright. So, we put a bandage on her head to help and she went to the hospital. She was a warrior, she fought to live. Go with God, strength to all the family”, lamented a man , which passed through the region.

*Reporting by intern Leonardo Marchetti, under the supervision of Iuri Corsini