RJ: Defense of woman suspected of taking dead uncle to take out loan says elderly man arrived at bank alive

The 68-year-old man who, according to the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police, was taken dead by his niece to a bank branch to take out a loan of R$17,000 was alive when he arrived at the bank, according to Erika de Souza Vieira's defense. Nunes, arrested for attempted theft by fraud and vilifying a corpse this Tuesday (16).

According to the woman's lawyer, Ana Carla de Souza Correa, the events did not happen as they were told and everything was explained to the Police. “Mr. Paulo Roberto Braga arrived at the banking unit alive, and there are witnesses who will also be heard at the appropriate time. This entire procedural part will be duly assessed by the competent court,” he stated.

A video showing the moment the woman tries to get her uncle to sign the loan went viral on social media and shows Erika carrying the elderly man in a wheelchair. In the images, it is possible to notice that bank branch employees, suspicious of the man's health, began filming the scene. The moment was recorded on a bank in Bangu, in the north of Rio, this Tuesday (16).

In the images, the woman simulates a conversation with her uncle and tries, unsuccessfully, to make her relative hold the pen. “If you don’t sign, there’s no way, I can’t sign for you,” she says.

According to the delegate responsible for the case, Fábio Luiz da Silva Souza, it was found that when he arrived at the bank branch to make the loan, the man had already been dead for some time.

“There she tried to simulate him taking out a loan that had already been made. However, people at the bank thought he was sick and feeling unwell. The SAMU doctor, upon arriving at the scene, found that he had died, apparently a few hours ago. In other words, he already entered the bank dead,” he said.

Erika's defense claims that she was completely shaken by what happened and even had to be drugged. “She is a worthy lady, who has a special daughter who needs her. She is also someone who has always taken great care of Mr. Paulo. So all this will be clarified and we believe in Mrs. Erika’s innocence,” she says.

Still according to the lawyer, Erika reaffirmed that the elderly man arrived at the scene alive and began to feel ill there. According to the defense, he was hospitalized a few days ago and was in poor health. However, the lawyer did not say what these health problems were.

Erika spent the night detained at the 34th DP (Bangu) and must be sent to a custody hearing between Wednesday (17) and Thursday (18) at the Benfica Prison.

The Rio Civil Police reported that the elderly man's body will be examined at the Legal Medical Institute (IML), in order to determine the circumstances of the death, and that agents are taking steps to clarify the facts.