A Maranhão businesswoman, Carolina Sthela Ferreira dos Anjos, was arrested this Thursday in Teresina, Piauí, while allegedly attempting to flee. She is the prime suspect in a case involving the assault and torture of a 19-year-old pregnant domestic worker. The arrest was the result of a joint operation by the Civil Police forces of both states.
According to the victim's report, the attack occurred after she was accused of stealing jewelry from her employer. The young woman stated she was punched, kicked, and had her hair pulled as she tried to protect her unborn child. The case is being investigated by the 21st Police Station in Araçagy.
This is not Carolina Sthela's first brush with the law. Court records reveal she and her husband, Yuri Silva do Nascimento, were convicted in 2023 for qualified theft. The couple embezzled more than R$20,000 from a swimming school in São Luís owned by one of Carolina's sisters.
The embezzlement scheme ran between December 2020 and March 2021. Carolina, who worked as a human resources assistant and secretary at the school, exploited her position of trust. She directed student tuition payments into her personal accounts or those of her husband, Yuri, who also frequented the establishment and was trusted by the owners.
The fraud was uncovered when a client, disputing a charge, presented a payment receipt made to an account belonging to one of Carolina's former partners. A subsequent accounting audit confirmed the total diversion of R$20,121.65. Despite the defendants' claims that the school owners authorized the practice, the court found the evidence "unequivocal and convincing."
For these crimes, Carolina and Yuri were sentenced to 2 years and 8 months of imprisonment in an open regime. The sentence was later converted to restrictive rights penalties, including community service and weekend restrictions. The court highlighted the aggravating factor of Carolina abusing her trusted position.
Furthermore, Carolina Sthela has faced over ten other legal processes. In a 2024 case, she was convicted of slander for falsely accusing a former nanny of stealing a gold bracelet. That sentence also resulted in community service and a R$4,000 moral damages payment, which the ex-nanny claims remains unpaid.
Regarding her recent arrest, police intelligence indicated Carolina was at a gas station in Teresina, fueling her car with the apparent intent to leave the state. Her husband and six-year-old son were also in the vehicle. Her defense lawyer, however, denies any flight attempt, stating Carolina was in Piauí to leave her child with trusted family members as she has no relatives in Maranhão.
Based on reporting from g1.