Sister of teenager killed in crash with GCM vehicle denies young man's involvement in crime

The family of Brayan Willian dos Santos Ferreira da Silva, 16, claims that the teenager had no connection with the theft of the motorcycle that was involved in a chase with a Municipal Civil Guard (GCM) vehicle in São José dos Campos. The young man died during the incident, on Monday afternoon (7), in the Dom Pedro I neighborhood.

Brayan was the pillion rider on the motorcycle, which was driven by another teenager, also 16 years old. According to the police report, the vehicle had recently been stolen and had no license plate. The Civil Police apprehended the driver, who was taken to Fundação Casa.

This Tuesday (8), Brayan lay in state at the Colônia Paraíso Cemetery, in the South Zone of the city. The burial was scheduled for 2:30 pm.

According to family members, the teenager was attending high school and worked doing odd jobs as a bricklayer, painter and also in cafeterias.

His sister, Jenifer dos Santos Almeida, told the reporter that Brayan was at home shortly before leaving and had separated the objects he would use at work the next day. According to her, the teenager was called by friends and ended up getting a ride on the motorcycle.

"He was at home 10 minutes before, he was called, you know, by his friends and he was working, he was working, he had packed his bag to go to work the other day and this happened", she narrated emotionally.

The family claims that Brayan did not know the origin of the motorcycle and that he was just a passenger.

"We are very angry because every death that happens in this region has color. And they put everyone in the same bag, my brother wasn't a criminal, he was a 16-year-old child. He had his whole life ahead of him", lamented the sister.

The accident took place on Rua Dionísio Alves da Silva, in the Dom Pedro I Residential Complex. According to the incident report, GCM agents spotted two teenagers on a motorcycle without a helmet or license plate and ordered them to stop.

Still according to police records, the driver fled at high speed and was accompanied by a GCM team. During the journey, the motorcycle and the vehicle collided on a road with successive curves.

The teenager who was riding pillion died at the scene. The motorcycle driver was rescued and remained hospitalized. A municipal guard was also injured and taken to hospital.

The motorcycle used by the teenagers had recently been stolen and was recovered by the police. The vehicle was missing its identification plate.

The case is investigated by the Civil Police. The teenager who was driving the motorcycle was caught red-handed for criminal acts similar to the crimes of receiving possession, tampering with a vehicle identification sign, disobedience and driving without a license.

The Civil Police are also investigating the circumstances of the collision that killed Brayan. According to the incident report, expert reports are still awaited, including to verify the dynamics of the accident and the alleged failure of the GCM vehicle's braking system.

A security camera from a nearby property recorded the dynamics of the collision. The recording was handed over to the police and attached to the investigation.