Woman Arrested in Joinville After 14 Months Posing as 12‑Year‑Old

Overview

• Police arrested the suspect in Joinville after she confessed to living about 14 months with a family under the name “Gabriele” while presenting herself as a 12‑year‑old.
• Investigators converted her detention to preventive custody and charged her with fraud and false identity while the court ordered a forensic psychiatric exam to assess her mental state.
• Authorities say she sustained the deception by inventing abuse stories, claiming autism and forced hormones, using baby bottles and pacifiers and winning emotional control of caregivers.
• Records and past reports link the woman to similar episodes across several states dating back to at least 2010, including a 2023 detention in Nova Iguaçu where prosecutors later reached a non‑prosecution agreement.
• Police are correlating aliases, medical records and radiographs that showed needles in her body and the case is raising questions about how churches, shelters and social services verify identities and guard against repeat fraud.