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Man accused of killing 80 people caught trying to escape disguised as a woman after one detail gives him away
A man who has been accused of killing 80 people was caught trying to escape disguised as a woman after one distinctive detail reportedly gave him away.
Jorlan Lopes da Silva, 33, was arrested on Sunday (September 13) in the Brazilian state of Paraíba during a joint operation involving the Civil Police of Paraíba and the region's military police.
When police found da Silva, he was donning a wig, dress, women's sandals, and sunglasses, with his nails painted as part of an attempt to disguise himself as a woman.
He was also carrying a two-year-old child who was not his, according to local reports from O Globo, Record R7, and iG Último Segundo.
The child received medical attention and was found to be physically unharmed.
One detail allegedly exposed his disguise
Police had struggled to locate da Silva because he had been living in the woods.
According to Correio Braziliense, cops had made an unsuccessful attempt to capture him around 20 days earlier.
Despite the disguise, they eventually identified the suspected serial killer after part of his dress shifted and exposed a distinctive tattoo, investigators said.
Da Silva's arrest came amid an investigation into a series of killings in northeastern Brazil.
Law enforcement suspects da Silva of killing at least 16 people over just three months, with the killings believed to have started at the end of May.
However, investigators are now examining the possibility that the number of victims could be much higher after da Silva claimed during questioning to have killed as many as 80 people over a period spanning approximately 20 years.
If accurate, that would mean the killings began when he was just 13 years old.
He also allegedly told investigators that his first victim was his father.
"During his interrogation, with great composure, Jorlan confessed to several homicide crimes, even revealing that he committed his first crime when he was 13 years old," police said in a statement.
Investigators have not confirmed that da Silva's claim of 80 killings is accurate and are now working to verify the information he allegedly provided.
Police have already located at least one site containing a body based on information given by him.
Detectives are also looking into other leads.
Police hope the arrest will advance investigations
The man's capture followed the arrests of two other suspects, while officers also recovered a revolver.
The Civil Police has not provided details about the offenses the other two suspects were arrested for or whether they are connected to da Silva.
Nevertheless, police hope the arrests will allow several investigations to progress more quickly.
"With the arrest of the suspects, the Civil Police hope to expedite the progress of the police investigations, gathering evidence to hold those involved accountable for the crimes attributed to them," police said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear whether da Silva had been formally charged.