In a significant development in a brutal assault case from Ceará, Brazil, the two brothers accused of a horrific crime have been moved to a new correctional facility. Ronivaldo and Evangelista Rocha dos Santos, who are suspected of severing the hands of a young woman named Ana Clara de Oliveira, were transferred from the Quixadá Prison Unit in the state's central sertão region to the Caucaia Prison Unit in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza.
The violent incident occurred in the early hours of May 1st inside Ana Clara's home in the Conjunto Esperança neighborhood of Quixeramobim, a city located about 200 kilometers from Fortaleza. According to investigators, Evangelista allegedly attacked Ana Clara with a sickle at the request of his brother, Ronivaldo, who was in a relationship with the victim. The woman was rescued alive and underwent a successful 12-hour surgery to have her severed hands reimplanted.
Police testimony revealed the brothers' stated motive. They claimed the attack was sparked by alleged bank transfers Ana Clara was making from Ronivaldo's account to her own. This financial dispute escalated into a violent confrontation. Security camera footage from the street captured the initial argument between Ana Clara and Ronivaldo, showing him chasing her and later returning with his brother.
The timeline reconstructed from the footage and testimony is chilling. At 00:33, the couple was seen arguing in the street. By 00:57, the brothers returned in a pickup truck. Evangelista then scaled the wall of the residence with a sickle while Ronivaldo stayed outside, shouting that his girlfriend had broken his car's window and would "pay." At 01:01, Ronivaldo was recorded yelling, "Kill her, kill her," followed by sounds of struggle and screams.
In his statement to police, Evangelista said he brought the sickle on his own and was "already in the evil." He claimed his brother's shouts influenced him to attack. After the assault, when Ana Clara stopped moving, Evangelista believed she was dead and left. Security audio captured Ronivaldo asking his brother, "You killed her? You've ruined our lives." Evangelista replied, "It's over. It was you who ordered it."
Ronivaldo's account to police was different. He admitted to the argument over money and the broken car window but claimed he could not remember most of the subsequent events, including ordering the attack. He denied any prior plan with his brother to mutilate the victim.
Following the attack, Ana Clara was transported to the Instituto Dr. José Frota in Fortaleza. The complex reimplantation surgery involved a team of approximately 15 specialists. Medical reports indicate the procedure was successful, with blood flow restored to the reimplanted hands. The young woman has since been taken off intubation, opened her eyes, and recognized her family, though she remains in the Intensive Care Unit and is not yet speaking.
The brothers' transfer to the Caucaia facility marks a new phase in the judicial process for this case, which has drawn national attention for its extreme violence. Based on reporting from g1.