A Brazilian merchant was the victim of a robbery involving hostage-taking on Saturday morning, the 19th, in María Auxiliadora, a district of Tomás Romero Pereira, Itapúa. The escape of the two suspects led to a police chase and exchange of gunfire; 21-year-old Walter Eliezer Vera Aquino was detained, while the other man continued to be sought in a wooded area.
Jairo Luís Barcelos, 47, was approached at around 7:30 a.m. as he was preparing to leave his home near kilometer 44. The armed men allegedly forced the merchant back inside the property and to hand over money. The amount stolen has not yet been officially disclosed, and the reference to a “millionaire” sum remains unconfirmed.
A relative called the 911 emergency number, and officers from the 16th María Auxiliadora Police Station went to the scene. The suspects fled in the victim’s red Toyota Hilux, license plate WNBS396. The pursuit covered about 3,000 meters and ended in the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús neighborhood, at kilometer 46, where the pickup was abandoned with several bullet impacts and a damaged tire.
Security-camera footage recorded the shootout between police officers and the suspects. After abandoning the vehicle, the two headed on foot toward the vegetation. The search took place amid heavy rain and on difficult-to-access rural roads; at some points, officers used tractors to move forward.
Vera Aquino was located around midday during the search in the wooded area and was placed at the disposal of the authorities. The second suspect escaped and remained at large, according to information released about the operation. No injured people were reported.
Preliminary Police data indicate that Vera Aquino has no record in the national system. Investigators are nevertheless assessing the possibility that he has outstanding judicial matters in Brazil; that information still depends on confirmation through an Interpol report.
The Toyota Hilux was recovered and remained at the disposal of the authorities, while the money was not found. The case was reported to Walter Castro, a prosecutor for the María Auxiliadora area. The investigation is expected to clarify each suspect’s participation, how the break-in unfolded and the amount actually taken.