- Title: BRAZIL-GERMAN/MURDER German tourist killed in Rio de Janeiro
- Date: 18th February 2015
- Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (FEBRUARY 18, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE PATROL CARS ARRIVING NEAR AREA WHERE GERMAN MAN WAS ATTACKED AND KILLED SIGN FOR THE LARGO SAO FRANCISCO DE PAULA STREET POLICE IN THE STREET POLICE QUESTIONING SOMEONE IN THE STREET VARIOUS OF POLICE QUESTIONING PEOPLE IN THE AREA POLICE DEPUTY GENITON LAJES AND ANOTHER OFFICER IN THE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) POLICE DEPUTY GENITON LAJES, SAYING: "What we're doing now, we needed to identify the area with precision and take pictures. We know it is an area with a lot of businesses and lots of security cameras installed around here, and these cameras will certainly be very enlightening. They have the possibility of not only confirming the dynamic told by the surviving victim; that victim's testimony, but it also could help find the perpetrator." VARIOUS OF POLICE INVESTIGATING NEAR THE CRIME SCENE A SECURITY CAMERA ON A BUILDING AREA SHOP VARIOUS CLOSE-UPS OF ANOTHER SECURITY CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) POLICE DEPUTY GENITON LAJES, SAYING: "The tourist, along with his wife who was with him, had just left a church nearby here and they were on their way to the hotel where they were staying. They were approached by at least four individuals close to here who said they were robbing them. Because it is a high traffic area, the approach (robbery) has to be done very quickly. Unfortunately, one of them (the assaulters) was armed with a knife and in what could have ended well, he ended up sticking the victim at least twice. [JOURNALIST ASKS: In the abdomen?] In the abdomen. And one of these ended up hitting the heart. And he was rescued, but unfortunately he died as a result of these injuries." POLICE OFFICER TAKING NOTES POLICE EXPERT TAKING PICTURES VARIOUS OF POLICE INVESTIGATING AREA AND TAKING PICTURES VARIOUS OF POLICE DEPUTY GENITON LAJES QUESTIONING A WITNESS TO THE CRIME, SECURITY GUARD, LEANDRO PEREIRA DA COSTA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) WITNESS TO THE CRIME, SECURITY GUARD, LEANDRO PEREIRA DA COSTA, SAYING: "He was all bloodied. His arm was all bloody. He was holding himself like this, [wrapping arms around abdomen] his hand. The people were helping him and then he fell. But he was really, really bloody." POLICE LEAVING AFTER QUESTIONING PEREIRA DA COSTA VARIOUS OF THE SOUZA AGUIAR HOSPITAL AMBULANCE OUTSIDE HOSPITAL VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF THE LEGAL MEDICAL INSTITUTE
- Embargoed: 5th March 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Brazil
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA21ALK3MG9W9SKYTH7V8QRJYWV
- Story Text: A German tourist was stabbed and killed in Rio de Janeiro late Tuesday (February 17) night in the midst of Carnival celebrations in the Brazilian city.
According to police, the man and his wife were leaving a church and on their way back to their hotel when they were attacked by a group of muggers.
The man's wife was injured in the attack, but was in stable condition.
On Wednesday (February 18) police scoured the downtown area where the man was killed looking for clues and any possible witness to the murder.
Police deputy Geniton Lajes, who is investigating the crime, said police hoped security cameras in the area would shed some light onto what exactly happened in the deadly attack.
"What we're doing now, we needed to identify the area with precision and take pictures. We know it is an area with a lot of businesses and lots of security cameras installed around here, and these cameras will certainly be very enlightening. They have the possibility of not only confirming the dynamic told by the surviving victim; that victim's testimony, but it also could help find the perpetrator," Lajes said.
Rio de Janeiro's homicide division identified the victim as Fred Nietenf though local media are also reporting his name as Fred Miesino. He was 51-years-old.
Police would not release details about the female victim, but local media identified her as Nietenf's wife, 52-year-old Sybele Jurth.
"The tourist, along with his wife who was with him, had just left a church nearby here and they were on their way to the hotel where they were staying. They were approached by at least four individuals close to here who said they were robbing them. Because it is a high traffic area, the approach (robbery) has to be done very quickly. Unfortunately, one of them (the assaulters) was armed with a knife and in what could have ended well, he ended up sticking the victim at least twice. [JOURNALIST ASKS: In the abdomen?] In the abdomen. And one of these ended up hitting the heart. And he was rescued, but unfortunately he died as a result of these injuries," Lajes added.
A security guard working at a theatre in the area at the time of the crime, Leandro Pereira da Costa, told Reuters he heard screams, but by the time he arrived on the scene the attackers were already fleeing the scene.
He said he saw the victim collapse after the attack.
"He was all bloodied. His arm was all bloody. He was holding himself like this, [wrapping arms around abdomen] his hand. The people were helping him and then he fell. But he was really, really bloody," Pereira da Costa said.
Jurth was being treated for her injuries at the Souza Agiuar hospital in downtown Rio.
Nietenf's body was taken to a medical examiner's office. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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