Brazil police reopen dozens of cases after serial killing suspect's arrest
Brazilian police are reopening dozens of cases tied to a self-confessed killer arrested in Paraiba state, where he is suspected in at least 16 deaths.
Police in northeastern Brazil said they will reopen dozens of cases connected to a self-confessed serial killer arrested in Paraiba state, in a probe that stretches across a region where a criminal gang is blamed for multiple deaths.
Jorlan Lopes da Silva, 33, was taken into custody on Sunday after a two-day search, according to police. He is suspected of killing at least 16 people in the Mulungu area of Paraiba.
A police spokeswoman said da Silva has confessed to an additional 11 killings, a disclosure that prompted authorities to revisit unresolved cases in the region.
At the time of his arrest, da Silva was wearing a black dress with white stripes, a wig and painted fingernails, police said. He was carrying a child who was not related to him, they added.
Two other suspects linked to the same criminal organization were also arrested. Police describe da Silva as a member of a gang responsible for dozens of killings in the area.
After his detention, da Silva told officers he committed his first killing at the age of 13, police said.
Mulungu lies about 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro.