Women live in a cafeteria in Leblon and go viral: ‘I don’t understand how this snowball turned around’, says mother | Rio de Janeiro

Two women, mother and daughter, have been attracting the attention of residents of Leblon, in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. According to those who live or work in the neighborhood, they have been “living” for around 3 months at a table at the McDonald’s on Rua Ataulfo ​​de Paiva, on the corner of Rua Carlos Góis.

Beside 5 suitcases, they spend the day there, consume at the establishment and only leave at dawn, when the store closes. To TV Globo, they stated that they are looking for an apartment, that they do not understand the curiosity they have aroused and ask people not to interfere in their lives.

“I find everything ridiculous, I can’t understand how this snowballed,” said the mother.

g1 interviewed residents and traders in the region, and everyone confirmed that they spend the day inside the store and sleep outsidewaiting for reopening.

The women, aged 64 and 31, explained that they are looking for an apartment to rent in the neighborhood and mentioned that they receive financial support from the youngest woman’s father, who lives in England.

“If it had been a person with dark skin, with little clothing, with little luggage, it wouldn’t have aroused curiosity,” said the youngest.

g1 contacted McDonald’s about the situation, but did not receive a response until the last update of this report.

The women even refused an offer of shelter on Monday (22). Social workers from the Leblon Presente Program were called and went to the location to offer places for the two in one of the Rio City Hall shelters.

g1 contacted the Rio Municipal Social Assistance Secretariat, which reported that a specialized approach team contacted the women on March 10th and 16th. The aid was denied by both.

Those who work in the region say that employees at establishments in the area have also offered help to the women, which was not accepted.

The two are from Rio Grande do Sul and have lived in Rio de Janeiro for 8 years.

In an interview with TV Globo, the older woman said that for many years she lived with a group of surfers and only gave up her lifestyle to take care of her newborn daughter.

“One day I said: I’m going to stop and I’m going to get pregnant with my daughter, which I really want. I’ve wanted her since I was a child,” said the older woman.

She stated that she has been married for 34 years and her husband lives in England and that she was scared by the repercussions of their stay in the cafeteria. They stated that they had not been there for 3 months, but did not want to say how long they had been there.

According to the 14th DP (Leblon), the commercial establishment did not register a case against the women and there was no report of a crime related to their stay at the location.

The younger woman stated that she considers that envy generated curiosity about them and confirmed that the two are looking for an apartment. She praised the diner’s employees and stated that she considers them friends.

The youngest said that she is currently studying for public exams but, at the moment, there is no notice available for the position she wants.

According to the Civil Police, the two have three reports of defaults in hotels located in Copacabana. The scams took place in 2018, 2019 and 2021. In all cases, they were expelled due to failure to pay the daily allowances used.

They were also denounced by the Public Ministry of Rio Grande do Sul, in 2018, for racial slurs and sentenced to one year in an open regime. The sentence was replaced by the provision of community service.

Before this conviction, mother and daughter rented a furnished property in Porto Alegre. Between 2014 and 2018, they lived in an apartment on Avenida Doutor Niló Pecanha, in the Boa Vista neighborhood.

In contact with TV Globo, the tenant recalled how the two caused problems during the period. Not to mention the complaints from neighbors and employees uncomfortable with the rudeness they needed to hear from them, Susane and Bruna also did not comply with the financial agreement signed between them for the housing.

Without identifying herself, the tenant stated that the pair only paid the first six months of rent and were reluctant to negotiate any type of agreement to settle the outstanding debt.

Still according to the tenant, the two only left the place after an eviction order from the Court and with the presence of the Military Police.

Regarding the eviction and debt processes, both denied the existence of debts. The youngest asked them not to interfere in their lives.

“Nowadays, everyone takes everyone’s name, puts it on Google and you’ll get whatever it is. Now, I don’t owe anything satisfaction. I wasn’t evicted. If I had an agreement with the owner, I had an agreement with the owner. If I wanted it to be that way, that was our decision,” she said.