Avenida Pastor Martin Luther King Jr. has nine trawlers in one month, even with a police station and battalion

Crossing Avenida Pastor Martin Luther King Jr, which connects the neighborhoods of Del Castilho and Pavuna, in the North Zone of Rio, is a challenge for drivers and, even more so, for pedestrians. Surrounded by at least 11 favelas, with poor lighting and lots of trash on the uneven sidewalks, the road is the scene of frequent robberies and kidnappings. It is 25 kilometers long, along metro line 2, where armed bandits are not intimidated when blocking traffic to steal cars or rob passengers, despite the avenue being the address of the headquarters of the 44th DP (Inhaúma) and the 41st BPM ( Irajá).

— I was robbed in December last year. A guy on a motorcycle took my wallet and my cell phone. Everything very quickly: he left the favela, took my things and came back quickly. After that, I stopped going there. I prefer to face traffic on the Red Line — said a teacher, who lives in Acari and used Martin Luther King Jr as an alternative route to get to Botafogo, in the South Zone, where she works.

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A month ago, one of these cases ended with the death of Flávia Benedito Pedrosa, 30 years old. She allegedly tried to reverse the vehicle, and the criminals shot. Given the recurring cases, the street came to be called “Rua do Perdido”. The most dangerous stretches, according to residents, are near the Inhaúma Cemetery and at Engenho da Rainha.

— I got tired of having to wait on buses and started taking a car via app to get home from the subway. But now, not even the app car provides security, because there are dragnets every day. The resident who pays his taxes is tired of living in fear — said data analyst José Soares, 36 years old, resident of Engenho da Rainha.

Devaluation

In 23 days, O GLOBO raised nine trawlers on the avenue. On March 30, nine days after Flávia’s death, there were two more attacks: one at around 5 pm and another an hour later. Drivers were looted at Engenho da Rainha. A similar scene, and at the same time, happened on April 1st. Eight days later, bandits closed the track again, but at night, just after the 44th DP. On the 13th and 14th, there were four cases.

— There are few police here. There is a car there, another there, and where there are none, the thieves hold a party. The movement on the street dropped a lot. Several commercial locations closed over time. Properties depreciated. I have lived in Pavuna for over 30 years and I only see the situation getting worse. Bandits took over Pastor Martin Luther King Jr — said businessman Álvaro Silva, 42 years old.

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Alerts of robberies on the avenue are common in WhatsApp groups of app drivers.

— I’m not going at any time. If a passenger asks to go there, I argue that I won’t go because it’s too dangerous. If there is an alternative path, there is no reason for us to expose ourselves — said a professional, who preferred to remain anonymous.

In a statement, the Military Police reported that it has been “working jointly with the Civil Police stations to identify and arrest criminals involved in such crimes”. The Civil Police stated that, “through district and specialized police stations, it investigates and combats crimes committed in the region”. According to the corporation, in the 12 months ending in March, compared to the same period immediately before, there was a 2.8% drop in vehicle thefts in the areas covering the avenue.