A young cyclist's routine ride home from a muay thai session turned into a frightening ordeal on Tuesday night in Uberlândia. The 26-year-old man was ambushed and robbed by three individuals who used a recycling cart as a prop in their scheme.
The incident occurred around 11 PM on BR-452. The victim was cycling from the Morumbi neighborhood to his home in Grand Ville. Having recently moved to the city, he was unfamiliar with alternative routes and chose the highway.
According to the police report, the cyclist felt an impact while riding. Upon stopping, he discovered he had collided with a recycling cart placed at the roadside. A man then emerged from behind the cart, pretending to be injured.
When the concerned cyclist approached to offer assistance, two other men appeared. One was brandishing a large scissors. The victim immediately realized he had walked into a carefully planned ambush.
The man feigning injury grabbed the cyclist's backpack from his shoulders, while the group also took his cellphone. The trio then fled the scene with the stolen items.
The shaken victim rode home and promptly contacted the Military Police. Officers launched a search operation in the area using the suspect descriptions provided. Their investigation led them to an occupation site near the crime scene.
At the location, police found and identified two suspects. The first was the individual who had simulated the accident. The second was the man armed with the scissors. Both were recognized by the victim.
In a positive development, the stolen backpack and cellphone were recovered from one of the structures at the occupation site and returned to their owner. The two identified suspects were arrested in flagrante delicto and taken to the Police Station in Uberlândia.
Based on reporting from g1.