Witnesses interviewed by police during the investigation into the murder of Lais de Oliveira Gómez Pereira, 24, who died last week in Sepetiba, Rio West, reported that the main suspect, the alleged mastermind, was obsessed with the victim’s daughter. Gabriel Christine Pinheiro Rosario, 22, is a stepmother to a girl who is just 4 years old. Friends and family said Gabriel was possessive of the child and forced him to call his mother. One witness also said Gabriel was prohibited from picking up the girl at school because he tried to remove her from school without her parents’ permission. Police said Gabriel planned the crime to gain custody of his stepdaughter.
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During the investigation, police interviewed several witnesses who were family members or friends of Rice and Gabriel. All reported Gabriel’s obsessive behavior toward a 4-year-old girl. Rice’s friend said that before he started dating Gabriel, the victim’s ex-husband had no interest in meeting their daughter. It would become a “couple obsession” after he began a relationship with Gabriel.
The child’s grandmother had a similar perception. In his testimony, Gabriel said he was “obsessed” with the victim’s daughter and always wanted to be in front “even more than his own father” in everything that concerned her. According to the grandmother, the child requested that Gabrielle call her “Mom” and told her that she had two mothers: “Mom Gabi and Mom Rice.”
Another witness who was in a relationship with Rice told police that Gabriel was the only person the victim had problems with, calling her “very controlling and wanting to take care of everything.” Gabriel also said he was possessive of the girl and always wanted to show her that he was “able to give more” than her biological mother.
The statement said Gabriel tried to control every aspect of the child’s life. In her own statement, she admitted that she helped pay for her pension and even left Rice with her credit card.
The disagreement between the two men was also confirmed by other witnesses. Rice’s brother reported that his sister had received repeated threats from Gabriel through messages on social media. He said the disagreement was related to a custody and co-residence dispute with the girl, Rice’s daughter from his first marriage. Custody was joint, and the child spent weekends at Gabriel’s home with his father.
Gabrielle’s husband also admitted that he had a “difference of opinion” with the victim. However, he said he had never heard of any “intent to harm Rice” from the woman. He also said the two worked on “custody and visitation” issues for the 4-year-old girl. In a report to deputies, the man said he learned of Rice’s death after Gabriel received a message informing him of what had happened. He denied any involvement and said he had “never employed, asked for or authorized anyone to harm my ex-partner.”
On Monday, police arrested two suspects involved in the crime: Eric Santos María, who was driving the motorcycle, and Davi de Sousa Marto, who fired the gun. They confessed to the crime at the homicide police station. Davi’s mother, Kelly Silva de Souza, noticed that her son had told a neighbor that he had killed someone. Police said Gabriel offered 20,000 reais for the victim’s execution.
The camera recorded the last moments
The last moments of Lais de Oliveira Gómez Pereira, 24, who died last Tuesday while walking with his son in a stroller along Travessa Santa Vitória in Sepetiba, Rio’s western region, were recorded on a security camera. Images show a young woman crossing the street with her baby moments before she was shot. The youngest child, aged 18 months, was unaffected.
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