Santa Catarina

The cruel death of community dog Orelha by teenagers in Santa Catarina sparked unified outrage on social media, pressuring authorities for justice. However, the online fervor led to virtual vigilantism that wrongly accused an innocent teenager, highlighting the dangers of internet trials. Police now treat him as a witness as the investigation continues.

January 31, 2026 Reported by AI

Santa Catarina's Civil Police has reclassified a teenager, whose image was released as a suspect in the dog Orelha mistreatment case, as a witness. The youth does not appear in the crime footage, and his family provided evidence he was not at the scene. The probe currently rules out attempts to drown another dog and links to online challenges.