A suspected serial killer who allegedly confessed to 80 murders was arrested in Brazil while disguised as a woman and carrying a toddler.
Jorlan Alves da Silva, 33, was taken into custody in Paraíba state in northeastern Brazil after a dramatic raid caught him wearing a striped dress, a loosely fitting long black wig, women’s sandals, dark sunglasses and painted nails, according to police. He was also holding a 2-year-old child, and authorities were still working to determine how the youngster came to be with him.
Security forces had earlier spotted and stopped a vehicle used by da Silva and other alleged accomplices, arresting one person inside. Da Silva somehow managed to escape that initial stop, setting up the subsequent raid.
Da Silva is suspected of carrying out at least 15 murders for organized crime gangs in just the past three months, police said. During questioning, he reportedly confessed to killing around 80 people over the course of his life.
Detective Douglas Garcia of the Civil Police said da Silva allegedly admitted to committing his first murder at age 13. Da Silva also spent five to six years in prison for various other offenses and was released in late May this year, Garcia added.
One case under active investigation is the double homicide of two businessmen on Aug. 1 in Rio Tinto. Da Silva accurately pointed authorities toward where one of the bodies was buried, Garcia said.
The claim of 80 killings remains under investigation by authorities.
If verified, da Silva would rank as the most prolific serial killer in Brazilian history. The current record belongs to Pedro Rodrigues Filho, known as the “Brazilian Dexter,” who was convicted of 71 murders but claimed to have killed more than 100.
Da Silva’s arrest came after he had managed to flee the initial vehicle stop that nabbed one of his alleged accomplices. The video of his capture shows officers pulling off his wig to reveal his short hair beneath.
The 2-year-old child found with da Silva during the arrest has added another layer of complexity to the case, with police continuing to investigate the connection between the suspect and the toddler.
Da Silva’s alleged confession spans decades of violence, beginning with a claimed first killing as a teenager and continuing through his recent release from prison this spring.