RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Cristiano Girão was located and arrested in the Pari neighborhood, near São Paulo’s downtown, where he lived. The operation was conducted by a DHC team with the support of the São Paulo Civil Police in compliance with a preventive arrest warrant issued by a court.
DHC (Homicide Precinct) officers also served an arrest warrant against former Rio state police officer Ronnie Lessa, accused of the murder of city councilor Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes in March 2018. Lessa is currently in prison.
According to the Rio Civil Police, Girão was surprised while driving his car in the early hours of the morning, after leaving the store where he slept. According to the investigations, he hid there after news that there was an arrest warrant against him for double murder.
According to the investigations, the motive for the double homicide was a territorial dispute between the militia led by Girão and the criminal faction led by Zóio. Zóio was a militiaman from Campo Grande trying to dominate the Gardênia Azul region in Rio’s west zone, the territory controlled by Girão’s group.
The ex-city councilor had been arrested before, inside the Rio City Hall, in December 2009. At the time, he was convicted of gang formation and laundering militia money. Girão was released in 2017.
On Friday, July 30 federal deputy Marcelo Freixo (PSB) tweeted about Girão’s arrest: “This murder shows that Girão and Lessa, the executioner of Marielle and Anderson, are partners in criminal activities. This finding may help us understand who ordered the killing of Marielle and its motivation. We will continue to fight for justice!”