Police Question Family and Car Owners in Deaths of Two Boys in Praia Grande

Overview

• Witnesses, who gave statements Wednesday, included the couple who own the car, the boys’ grandmother, and the mother of one child at the Praia Grande investigations unit.
• Civil Police say the main line points to death by asphyxia and dehydration, while the city’s specialized unit is handling the case as a homicide under state public security rules.
• The car owners told police the vehicle had irregular papers, was out of use, and sat in a vacant lot across from their home, and they denied any role before leaving after questioning.
• Relatives and neighbors held a march Wednesday from the street where the car was found to the city’s police center, saying they do not accept that the cousins climbed into the vehicle and could not get out.
• Early reports mentioned signs of assault and rigor mortis, yet police later said initial tests suggested a self-inflicted facial mark on one boy, and it is standard for cases with unclear causes to be logged as homicide until lab results and statements define responsibility.