Santa Catarina's Civil Police concluded on Tuesday (February 3) the inquiry into the death of community dog Orelha in Florianópolis, identifying an adolescent as the perpetrator of the attacks. The force requested the youth's internment and indicted three adults for witness coercion. The defense disputes the evidence as circumstantial and the investigation as fragile.
Orelha, a community stray dog that had lived on Praia Brava in Florianópolis for at least ten years, was attacked in the early morning of January 4 around 5:30 a.m. Forensic reports from the Scientific Police indicated the animal suffered a cranial trauma from a blunt force blow, possibly a kick or a rigid object like wood or a bottle. Rescued by residents the next day, he died in a veterinary clinic due to severe injuries, including head wounds and damage to the left eye.
The investigation, led by the Specialized Delegation for Adolescents in Conflict with the Law (Deacle) and the Animal Protection Delegation (DPA), involved a task force with state security agencies. Officers analyzed over a thousand hours of footage from 14 security cameras in the area, interviewed 24 witnesses, and probed eight adolescents. French software, Mercure V4.2 from Ockham Solutions/ChapsVision, cross-referenced location data, geolocation, and metadata to confirm the suspect's presence.
Footage showed the adolescent leaving a condominium on Praia Brava at 5:25 a.m. and returning at 5:58 a.m. with a friend. In his statement, he claimed to have stayed in the pool area, a contradiction proven by witnesses and evidence. On the day suspects were identified, the youth traveled to the United States, returning on January 29. Upon landing at Florianópolis Airport, he was approached; a relative tried to hide a pink cap and a sweatshirt matching the clothes seen in the crime footage. The adolescent admitted owning the items before the trip.
The Civil Police maintained secrecy to prevent flight or evidence disposal, such as the cell phone. The inquiry was forwarded to the Public Prosecutor's Office, which will decide on proceedings. Three adults—two parents and an uncle of investigated adolescents—were indicted for witness coercion.
The defense, represented by lawyers Alexandre Kale and Rodrigo Duarte, issued a statement claiming the youth was 'improperly associated' with the case. 'Information that has come to light concerns merely circumstantial elements that do not constitute proof and do not authorize definitive conclusions,' they stated. They criticized the 'politicization of the case' and the 'need to point out a culprit at any cost,' alleging 'fragile and inconsistent' investigations that harm innocents. The defense protests the lack of full access to the files and seeks to prove their client's innocence technically.
