Rio de Janeiro police raided a luxury home in Estrada do Joa, in the elegant Sao Conrado district south of the Brazilian city, and freed an American tourist who was being held captive. The owner of the luxury residence, who identified himself as a film director, denies the fact of captivity, but did not explain why the tourist was unable to return to the United States and remained locked in the mansion.
According to DEAT, the specialized tourist support unit of the Rio de Janeiro police, a US citizen traveled to the Brazilian city to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Copacabana, one of the most famous in the world. However, while trying to return to her country, according to reports received by the police, the woman was stopped by the owner of the house where she was staying, an acquaintance of her family in the United States.
According to initial information, the man took her passport and did not allow her to call her family, but the woman took advantage of the alleged kidnapper’s oversight and sent a message to her sister in the United States, informing her that she had been detained by force and that she had been attacked by the property owner, and a family member had contacted by the North American Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, which in turn required the intervention of local police. BPTUR forces, a police tourist support battalion, surrounded and invaded the luxury property located in one of the most noble and expensive areas of Rio, found the tourist and freed her.
The tourist was taken to the San Vicente Clinic, a renowned private medical facility in Gavea, also in the southern zone, for treatment of some injuries that she and her family said were the result of aggression from the owner of the house. He denies hitting the American woman and says that during a violent argument after New Year’s Eve, she became very nervous, had an epileptic attack and fell, resulting in injuries.
According to Delegate (Inspector) Patricia Alemany from DEAT, the story is very complicated and there are things that do not fit both the version of the American tourist and the version of the owner of the luxury house where she was found. Therefore, the police will continue their investigation and listen to possible witnesses this Wednesday, the day of the arrival in Rio de Janeiro of the sister of the tourist who came from the United States to take her home.