EXECUTIONS

875.17 Luís Gustavo Romano, 16 andPaulo Bezerra dos Santos,16.On January 7, 2001 military police officers executed the twovictims. According to the police, the two youths were caught in the act ofstealing a car in the Jabaquara neighborhood, resisted arrest by shooting,prior to the police response.Luís Gustavo Romano's father, Luiz Gonzaga Romano da Silva,stated that his son left the house alone the day before at about 8:00 p.m.without saying where he was going. At about 11:00 p.m., Luís Gustavo'sgirlfriend arrived to inform the family that a rumor was circulating to theeffect that Luís and a friend had been involved in a shooting with themilitary police, that they had been arrested on Padre Arlindo Vieira Street,that police were beating them right there on that street and that they hadinjured Luis Gustavo's arm.Luiz Gonzaga da Silva proceeded to the eighty-third police districtto obtain information about his son. Authorities there informed him thatthere had been no incident involving Luís Gustavo Romano registered inthat police district. Gonzaga da Silva then filed a missing persons report.On January 9, 2001, police from the Police Internal Affairs sought LuizGonzaga da Silva and took him to the São Bernardo do Campo LegalMedical Institute, where he identified his son's body.Luís Gustavo had been found dead on the intersection of 31 deMarço and Taboão Avenues. He showed signs of having been beaten andshot. Paulo dos Santos's body was found in a wooded area near the zoo.Witnesses affirm that the boys were alive when they entered thepolice vehicle. The Military Police Internal Affairs Division arrestedseveral officers accused of having executed the youths.Source: Office of Representative Wagner Lino.