Fighter arrested for beating neighbors had been expelled from gym for bad behavior

This weekend, the court converted Lucas' temporary arrest into preventative. The man is incarcerated at the José Frederico Marques Public Prison, in Benfica, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro.

TV Globo spoke with a jiu-jitsu teacher from Lucas. "I was perplexed and deeply saddened by what happened. The images released are very strong and cause outrage. No woman should have to go through such a brutal and traumatic situation", declared the black belt.

The teacher spoke about Lucas’ time at the establishment. "When he arrived [at the academy], Lucas was quite reserved. As time went by, he became more communicative and sociable", he recalled.

“Subsequently, I began to observe some attitudes that were incompatible with the sporting environment that I try to maintain, especially difficulties in dealing with defeats during training, accompanied by aggressive reactions”, he continued.

"I spoke to him, but, given the repetition of certain behaviors, I understood that I should not continue to be part of the team. I made this decision about a year ago and, since then, I have no longer had contact with him", he highlighted.

He highlighted that, during the period in which Lucas trained at the academy, there were no reports from female students about situations of harassment or violence committed by the prisoner. “If I had received a communication of this nature, I would have taken the appropriate measures, with the seriousness and responsibility that the situation would require.”

Also according to the black belt, Lucas “never participated in competitions for the team nor did he have a career as a competitive athlete”.

"As a teacher, I try to teach my students that jiu-jitsu goes far beyond fighting techniques. It is a tool of discipline, respect for others, self-control and human development. Violence against a woman represents exactly the opposite of everything I believe in and try to transmit through sport", he stated.

At the custody hearing that maintained his arrest, Lucas stated that he is a user of marijuana, cocaine, ketamine and controlled medication. He had already stated in a statement to the police that he also uses anabolic steroids.

The fighter's defense stated that the attacks were “a serious reaction to the use of controlled medications”. However, no toxicological examination was carried out to determine whether he was under the influence of any substance.