Influencer Arrested in Fortaleza Over Alleged Plot to Ambush and Rob French Man

Overview

• The ambush, which occurred on May 12, left a French man shot twice in the back while waiting in his vehicle after he arrived at the influencer’s home in the Siqueira neighborhood.
• Authorities arrested the influencer Thays Abreu and four others in flagrante on May 13 and charged them with attempted latrocínio (attempted robbery with homicide), attempted extortion and membership in a criminal group.
• Statements to police and investigative documents say Thays provided information about the victim’s movements, Mikael recruited participants and the group planned to sell the stolen vehicle for R$15,000 to split among members.
• Investigators recovered the victim’s phone, watch and glasses at Thays’s residence and later found the victim’s vehicle abandoned in Canindezinho with signs of attempted dismantling.
• The victim remained hospitalized in serious condition and the case is an active criminal investigation based on confessions and physical evidence, with no conviction reported and defenses not yet public.