Nanny killed in Serra: truck driver confesses that he shot his companion to death and shot his own grandson

Truck driver Fábio Eugênio Madeira, aged 56, confessed to having shot dead his companion, nanny Jerlane Ribeiro, aged 40, and also admitted that he knew that the shots had hit his own grandson, aged one, during the attack in Serra, Greater Vitória.

According to the Civil Police, even though he was aware that he had shot the child, he fled without providing assistance. The crime took place on Thursday morning (5), in the apartment where the couple lived, in the Jardim Carapina neighborhood.

Jerlane was killed in front of her 6-year-old son. The 1-year-old boy, the suspect's grandson, was grazed in the arm and taken to the hospital, but has already been discharged.

Fábio was arrested around 9pm on Thursday (5), on Rodovia do Contorno, in Cariacica. He was alone, drove the getaway car and was armed. After being interviewed by the police, he was taken to prison.

Delegate Rafaela Aguiar, head of the Specialized Department of Homicide and Women's Protection, said this Friday (6) that the truck driver demonstrated coldness during his testimony and tried to attribute responsibility for the crime to the victim.

"He said: 'I was fully aware that I could shoot my own grandson and I still did it'. I asked him if he provided any kind of help, if he was aware that he had shot his grandson, the little child, and he said that he had, but that he didn't provide help and that he went looking for ways to escape", said the delegate.

According to Rafaela Aguiar, the police interviewed the suspect's family members and a former partner. The reports pointed to a history of violent behavior.

"It was very clear that he was an extremely violent man. Violent towards his companions, towards emotional relationships, as well as towards neighbors, family members. And he was a collector, so he had a firearm. In the locality, he sometimes ended up using this weapon in order to threaten and frighten everyone who surrounded and lived with him", he said.

The arrest was carried out by military police officers from the 7th Battalion, following information gathered by the Military Police and Civil Police intelligence teams.

The vehicle used by the suspect was identified through intelligent siege, a system that monitors vehicle license plates.

According to Lieutenant Neres, from the Military Police, the teams received information that Fábio could be hiding in a rural region of Cariacica, close to where he ended up being approached.

"The Ciodes operators, through the intelligent siege, were able to monitor the vehicle's license plate, which we already had information about which vehicle he would have used. And, through this license plate, the intelligent siege did this work and passed the information via radio to the vehicles", he explained.

The officer stated that the suspect had a firearm inside the car. Forensics have yet to confirm whether the weapon was used in the murder.

"He was alone in the vehicle, the firearm was also there. We still cannot say that this would be the weapon used, but, as he himself said, it would have been this weapon and it will now go through the work of technical expertise", he said.

The lieutenant also highlighted that the man showed no regret during the approach.

"He demonstrated extreme coldness. That's the truth. He didn't show any type of regret. He was taken to the police station showing the greatest calm, as if it were something natural", he reported.

The arrest took place less than 12 hours after the crime, according to the Military Police.

A neighbor said she woke up to calls for help from Jerlane's 6-year-old boy. When he went out to check what was happening, he found the woman lying inside the apartment.

"He tried to breathe, he said 'my mother, my mother, my mother'. I asked what had happened, he opened the door and I saw her lying down. I became desperate, I started crying along with him, and he said: 'My stepfather shot my mother and left with the car'", reported the neighbor.

Residents called the police and medical services to try to help the nanny.

According to family members, Jerlane and Fábio had been in a relationship for many years. However, they started living together in the building owned by the truck driver for about three months.

The neighbor who tried to help the nanny said that she had already heard several arguments between the two. According to her, Jerlane wanted to end the relationship, but Fábio did not accept the separation.

"She wanted to separate, but he wouldn't accept it. She wanted to leave, he said he wasn't going. He tried to kill her eldest son, she got in front and didn't let him", he reported.

Jerlane leaves three children, an 18-year-old young man, a 15-year-old teenager and a 6-year-old boy, who witnessed the crime and asked neighbors for help.

The Civil Police reported that the case is being investigated by the Specialized Department of Homicide and Women's Protection.

Taken to the Vitória Police Station, the truck driver said he killed Jerlane because he had been betrayed.