The TJRN determined this Wednesday (19) the immediate reinstatement of Sergeant Pedro Inácio Araújo de Maria to the PM. It had been deleted in July 2026.
The police officer was sentenced in 2025 to 20 years in prison for the rape and murder of student Zaira Cruz. The crime occurred during Carnival 2019.
The injunction considered that Pedro Inácio had already served an administrative punishment of 30 days in prison for the case. The criminal conviction has not yet become final.
The Military Police reported that the General Command was not notified of the decision. The corporation declared that it complies with court orders, but does not comment on the case.
The Court of Justice of Rio Grande do Norte (TJRN) determined, in a preliminary decision, the immediate reinstatement of the second sergeant of the Military Police Pedro Inácio Araújo de Maria to the corporation's staff. The decision is made by judge Cláudio Santos.
Pedro Inácio was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the rape and murder of student Zaira Cruz, during the Caicó Carnival, in 2019. He had been excluded from the Military Police in July this year.
According to the police officer's defense, the TJRN's decision considered that he had already been administratively punished for the same facts. In 2024, Pedro Inácio passed a Disciplinary Board and received a punishment of 30 days of administrative arrest, a sanction that was fully complied with.
After the conviction by the Jury Court, the General Command of the Military Police annulled the first administrative decision and ordered the sergeant's exclusion from the corporation.
In the preliminary decision, the TJRN understood that the criminal conviction, which has not yet become final and is questioned through an appeal, does not constitute a new fact that allows a second administrative punishment for the same events.
The defense said it will continue to appeal the criminal conviction. The lawyers also maintain the police officer's innocence and highlight that the trial in the Jury Court ended with a result of four votes to three.
This Wednesday's decision (19), however, deals exclusively with the administrative reinstatement of the police officer. The criminal case is still ongoing and the conviction will still be analyzed by the appeals bodies.
When contacted, the Military Police reported that the General Command had not yet been notified of the decision. The corporation stated that it does not comment on this type of decision, but that it complies with court orders.
Zaira Cruz, 22 years old, was found dead in March 2019, during the Caicó Carnival, in the Seridó region of Rio Grande do Norte. The student's body was located inside a car in the Itans reservoir parking lot.
Pedro Inácio Araújo de Maria, who was a military police officer, was identified as responsible for the crime. According to the investigation, Zaira was raped and murdered after leaving a party during Carnival.
The case was brought to trial by the Jury Court. In 2025, Pedro Inácio was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.
The defense appealed the conviction, which has not yet become final. The trial ended with four votes to three for conviction.
Pedro Inácio's exclusion from the Military Police occurred in July 2026. Now, with the TJRN's preliminary decision, he must be reinstated to the corporation while the administrative issue is analyzed by the Court. The measure does not suspend or modify the criminal conviction.
