São Paulo Governor Alckmin's Son and Granddaughter Caught in Morumbi Crossfire

02/04/2014 - 08h25

The son of São Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB), Thomaz, 30, was surrounded on Sunday by criminals and ended up in the middle of a shootout between the offenders and police who were a part of his security detail.

He was bringing his daughter home at night in the Morumbi neighborhood, located in São Paulo's west end. His vehicle was on an access road to Marginal Pinheiros when the car in front of it maneuvered to let four men out who then surrounded Thomaz's car.

The officers that were part of the escort jumped from their car and went after the men, ordering their arrest. The shootout then began, but the men fled.

The attack occurred near the Palácio dos Bandeirantes, home to the São Paulo state government.

Thomaz and the governor's granddaughter were taken home after the attack. The criminals' car was found hours later.

The Palácio dos Bandeirantes is set to investigate several potential reasons for the attack, such as robbery or even an attempted kidnapping. The Secretariat of Public Security said in a statement that "the circumstances of the occurrence are being investigated by the Civil Police, who has yet to discount any hypothesis yet."

In 2004, Thomaz was the victim of a robbery while riding his motorcycle on Marginal Pinheiros, near Villa-Lobos Park (in the west end). At the time, he had gone out without security guards and was approached by the thieves. He was not injured.

Two years before, a Military Police officer who was acting as an escort for the governor's son was killed in an attempted carjacking on Thomaz's vehicle in the Vila Mariana neighborhood (in the south end). Three people were convicted of the crime.

CRIMES

In all of 2013, the state capital registered 126,513 cases of theft. The number was higher than the previous year, when 113,044 cases were on record. Car thefts rose from 44,020 in 2012 to 50,729 the year before.

After analyzing the data collected in regards to the Morumbi neighborhood, a rise in both of these types of crimes can be seen. Thefts in general rose from 1,567 in 2012 to 1,799 in 2013. Car thefts went from 432 to 518 in the same period.

Translated by JILL LANGLOIS

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Alessandro Shinoda - 8.dez.2011/Folhapress

The son of São Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin, Thomaz, 30, ended up in the middle of a shootout, on Sunday, in São Paulo