Influencer arrested over shooting of French businessman in Brazil

On the evening of 12 May, a 61-year-old French businessman was shot twice in the back during an attempted robbery in Fortaleza, Brazil, after arranging to meet a 28-year-old influencer. The man had sent 500 BRL (£74) to Thays Abreu de Freitas, reportedly to pay a babysitter for her three-year-old son while she met him. He arrived in his pick-up truck for what he believed was a date, but was confronted by a group of suspects.

Details of the shooting and robbery

While waiting inside his vehicle at around 10pm, the businessman was approached by several individuals. He resisted their attack but was shot twice. The assailants fled in his truck, taking his belongings. The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition and remains in intensive care as of 20 May.

About an hour after the incident, De Freitas contacted one of the victim’s employees, requesting the passcode to the businessman’s phone to track the stolen device. She claimed that she and the victim were going out for dinner when she heard gunshots and saw him injured after exiting the vehicle. The employee found her request suspicious and declined to provide the passcode.

Arrests and investigation findings

De Freitas reportedly met the Frenchman through a dating app in late 2025. Police arrested her on 13 May along with her boyfriend Mikael Ricson Lima Monteiro, 23, Erick Sousa Paula, 23, two unidentified men, and a teenager. A seventh suspect remains at large.

Detective Luiz Arthur stated to local media that evidence points to De Freitas orchestrating the crime with six others. “The suspect arranged a meeting with the victim and, at the same time, coordinated with her accomplices to carry out the vehicle robbery followed by extortion attempts,” he said.

The suspects face charges including attempted robbery with attempted murder, attempted extortion, and membership of a criminal gang, and are held in custody.

Evidence and statements from suspects

Police recovered the victim’s phone, watch, and glasses at De Freitas’s residence. She initially admitted to expecting 1,500 BRL (£223) from a third party for the victim’s truck but later denied involvement in formal statements, maintaining she had only arranged a dinner meeting.

Her boyfriend told police she had been involved in planning the crime for weeks and helped coordinate the ambush, with the group allegedly set to receive 15,000 BRL (£2,231) for the stolen vehicle. The truck was found abandoned and partially dismantled.

Paula told investigators that Monteiro offered him 400 BRL (£59) to dismantle the vehicle and identified De Freitas and Monteiro as the main organisers. He also said the group initially planned to kidnap and extort the victim through torture, but the plan failed after the victim fought back.

Brazilian influencer Thays Abreu de Freitas, 28, arrested over attempted robbery and shooting of French businessman, 61, in Fortaleza romantic ambush plot.