In a bizarre and chilling incident, a Brazilian woman allegedly wheeled a deceased man into a bank in Rio de Janeiro, attempting to force his lifeless hand to sign a loan document worth $3,400 (17,000 Brazilian reais). The shocking event, captured on video, unfolded on April 16, 2024, and has since sparked a police investigation and widespread disbelief.
Identified as Érika de Souza Vieira Nunes, the 40-year-old woman pushed the body of 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga into the bank in a wheelchair, claiming he was her uncle. Surveillance footage verified by authorities shows Nunes propping up Braga’s slumped head and repeatedly urging him to sign the loan papers. “Uncle Paulo, can you hear me? You need to sign it. If you don’t sign, there is no way,” she says in the video, attempting to curl his limp fingers around a pen.
Bank staff quickly grew suspicious as Braga’s eyes remained closed, his arms slack, and his head lolling backward. When questioned, Nunes insisted, “He is normally like this,” and even claimed he had opened the door himself. Employees, unconvinced by her explanations, called police after noting his pale complexion and lack of responsiveness. “No, he is not well,” one clerk remarked.
Authorities arrived and arrested Nunes on fraud charges. A forensic examination later revealed Braga had been dead for at least two hours before entering the bank, likely dying while lying down. Police Inspector Fabio Souza confirmed the findings, contradicting Nunes’ lawyer, Ana Carla de Souza Correa, who argued Braga was alive upon arrival and died later. “The facts did not happen how they are narrated,” Correa stated, promising witness testimonies to prove Nunes’ innocence.
Investigators are now probing whether Braga’s death resulted from natural causes or foul play, as well as the nature of the loan Nunes sought. Police Chief Fábio Luiz emphasized, “He already entered the bank dead. The main thing is to identify other family members and clarify the loan’s purpose.” Nunes may face additional charges, including embezzlement and abuse of a corpse.
