Man arrested after intentionally running over two people in Campinas

A surprising event occurred this Saturday, October 26, on Avenida Pastor João Prata Vieira, in Campinas (SP), where a 28-year-old man, identified as Cristian Lopes dos Santos, was arrested red-handed after running over two people, causing the death of one of them.

According to the police, the incident took place after an argument in which Cristian claims to have reacted after one of the men allegedly fired into the air. However, the images from the security cameras, delivered to the Civil Police, show an intentional hit and run, with no evidence of gunshots.

According to the police report, Cristian rammed his vehicle twice into Gustavo Zanella Francisco, 26, who lost his life as a result of his injuries. The second victim, a 34-year-old man, was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital, where he remains under medical care.

After the accident, Cristian tried to evade the people who were trying to stop him, but was finally arrested by the Military Police. In his statement, he said that he acted to defend himself against what he described as a firearm threat.

However, preliminary investigations indicate that there was no weapon involved in the altercation. "No evidence of a firearm has been found at the scene nor is there a current or imminent threat in the images, which suggest the possibility that the driver could have left the scene without confrontation," the police report states.

The case was registered as homicide in the line of duty at the 2nd Sectional Police Station in Campinas, and Cristian has been transferred to the public jail attached to the delegation. So far, the accused's legal representatives have not been contacted to issue statements on the case.