Fatal Outcome in Couple's Argument: Mother-in-Law Intervenes and Kills Son-in-Law

Last Sunday, July 27, a violent argument between a couple ended with the death of Felipe Catanio de Araújo, a 32-year-old man, in the Muquiçaba neighborhood of Guarapari, Brazil. The man was stabbed in the chest by his 57-year-old mother-in-law, who later voluntarily surrendered to authorities and was released while the investigation continues.

According to witness accounts and security camera footage, Felipe arrived at the building where his ex-partner—a 22-year-old nursing student—and her 8-month-old son lived. There, a violent altercation broke out.

The recordings show that the young man, carrying a brass knuckle duster, attempted to attack his partner while she was holding the baby. At that moment, the young woman's mother intervened with a knife to defend her daughter, her grandson, and herself.

The defense version

The mother-in-law's attorney, Lucas Neto, asserted that his client acted in self-defense and that of her family after being repeatedly threatened by Felipe.

He indicated that the young man had been lurking around the house since early morning and had already physically attacked the mother before she responded with a knife.

In fact, the altercation escalated when the woman punctured the tire of the young delivery man's bicycle, which generated a violent reaction from him, including a kick to the mother-in-law's face.

During the fight, the young woman was injured in the arm and required stitches. She also appeared at the police station to testify.

Troubled Relationship

Felipe and his fiancée were not living together, but had been in a relationship since at least July 2022. On social media, they shared posts about their engagement and were looking for a rental together. However, the relationship was marked by constant arguments. According to attorney Neto, the final conflict erupted when the young woman wanted to end the relationship, but Felipe refused.

Furthermore, there are criminal records surrounding the family. On one occasion, Felipe reported threats from his partner's grandfather, although the case was dismissed for failure to appear. Felipe also had a criminal record: he was arrested for extortion and briefly imprisoned in November 2022.

At the time of the attack, Felipe was wearing his delivery backpack and riding a bicycle, as he worked as a salesman and delivery driver for an app.

The victim's family demands justice

For her part, Alessandra Braga Catanio, Felipe's mother, expressed her deep sorrow over her son's death and criticized the woman who stabbed him for being free. For her, it was not an act of self-defense: "They already had a knife in their hands, they were safe, and they could have called the police sooner," she stated.

She added that if her son made a mistake, he should have been arrested, not killed. "I will spare no effort to ensure justice is served in his memory. I will fight until the last day of my life," she stated. She also defended her son's image, emphasizing that he worked two jobs to support his baby and used brass knuckles to defend himself, due to the constant robberies he had suffered while working as a delivery driver.

Ongoing investigation

The police continue to investigate the case to determine whether it was indeed self-defense or whether the mother-in-law's reaction was excessive. For now, the crime continues to generate a heated debate in the community about the limits of self-defense and domestic violence.