Civil police have arrested a man who worked as Santa Claus in a shopping center in Lajes, Santa Catarina, on charges of raping a vulnerable person. Agents from the City Police Department for the Protection of Children, Adolescents, Women and the Elderly (DPCAMI) served the preventive arrest warrant in the shopping center, when the man was already wearing the typical clothing of the character. The identity of the 67-year-old suspect has not been revealed.
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The police went to the mall last Thursday (27) to execute the arrest warrant. Investigations began following a complaint, which led to the opening of a police investigation. The delegate in charge of the case, Bruna Viana Costa Martins, explained that the arrest took place in the shopping center because it was the place where the man was working at the time the steps were taken.
The man’s home address was the subject of a search and seizure warrant. There, according to what the delegate said in a circular issued by the police, the equipment was confiscated and sent for analysis by the scientific police.
— It is important to note that the arrest warrant was executed at the shopping center because that was this person’s place of employment and the location he was at at the time of the investigation. But none of the events investigated by the civilian police occurred inside the mall. Even the employer could not know this information because police investigations and criminal proceedings are confidential. There is still no conviction or final ruling, as delegate Bruna Viana highlighted in a video released about the case.
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The man’s identity has not been revealed. Since the matter is subject to judicial secrecy, there is also no information about the case to which the suspect will respond. The court decided to arrest him after the end of the investigation and the complaint submitted by the Public Prosecution. He will remain in the prison system, where he will remain at the disposal of justice.
At the time of his arrest, the man was wearing a full Santa Claus costume. He was approached by agents while he was still inside Lajes Shopping Centre, where he worked. In a statement issued last week, the company highlighted that it was “surprised by the information revealed” and, given the facts, “expresses its absolute rejection of any behavior that compromises the integrity of its customers, especially the children and families who frequent” its spaces.
Delegate Bruna Viana also appealed to families and guardians, especially children, at this time of year, when there is a high concentration of people in public places. It highlights the importance of reporting and contacting the police in the event of crimes or risks to minors:
— Especially at this time of the end of the year celebrations, when there is a significant increase in the movement of people in public places, events, parties and parks so that we can double our attention and care for our children. Any suspicious case must be reported immediately to the police, either by phone, our civil police hotline 181; 190 military police, or the search for the nearest police station, concluded in a video published by DPCAMI about the case.