Itaquaquecetuba mayor detains man who dragged girlfriend by hair, police investigate By Luís Henrique Costa
4 min read
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A 44-year-old man was pinned to the sidewalk after dragging his 25-year-old girlfriend by the hair out of a newly opened skewer restaurant (espetaria) in Itaquaquecetuba, in Greater São Paulo, on Friday night, November 6, 2026. The intervention was made by Mayor Eduardo Boigues (PL), a licensed police delegate (delegado de polícia) who was at the venue as a customer when dozens of people witnessed the commotion. In a post on social media, Boigues said the city has zero tolerance for those who attack women.
Security camera footage shows the man entering the venue at around 10 p.m. and grabbing his partner with force before pulling her toward the street. Outside, the mayor ran over, knocked the attacker to the ground and used police restraint techniques until members of the Guarda Civil Municipal (GCM) arrived to take those involved to the police station.
At the police station, the man said he had been drinking alcohol. He admitted holding the woman by the arms and hair after seeing her talk to another customer, but denied intending to physically assault her. In her statement, the 25-year-old said she did not feel assaulted and that she had never been attacked by her partner during the six months of their relationship.
The case was filed as vias de fato, a minor physical assault offense, in the context of domestic violence. No one was arrested in flagrante, given the initial classification and the statements taken during the shift, but the police authority ordered a deeper investigation based on the video evidence.
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The São Paulo State Department of Public Security (SSP) said the Civil Police will continue the procedures needed to establish the suspect’s conduct and the full sequence of the episode. The woman received formal guidance on the legal protections available to safeguard her physical and psychological integrity.
How the attack unfolded from the restaurant to the police station
- Around 10 p.m. on Friday (6): the suspect arrives at the opening and drags the girlfriend by the hair to the outside area.
- Seconds later: Mayor Eduardo Boigues runs to the sidewalk, applies a hold and keeps the man on the ground.
- In the following minutes: customers and passers-by gather around the scene while GCM officers arrive to control the commotion.
- Early Saturday (7): both parties give statements at the police station, and the case is recorded as vias de fato.
- Sunday (8): the SSP confirms that police steps continue based on the camera footage.
Legal classification and transfer of those involved
- Relationship length: six months, as declared by the woman to police.
- Legal classification: vias de fato linked to domestic and family violence.
- Transfer: GCM vehicles were responsible for taking both parties to the police station.
The delegate in charge of the case stressed that the investigation does not depend on an immediate complaint from the victim when material evidence shows coercive acts in public places. The department said its steps will assess whether complementary precautionary measures are needed while the inquiry moves forward.
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The woman told investigators that she tried to calm her partner during the argument and said his pulling came from his drunken state. Institutional protocol for gender cases requires follow-up to make sure there is no coercion or risk to the woman at home.
Where women can call for help and report attacks in São Paulo
- Central de Atendimento à Mulher: call 180 for immediate help, free of charge across the country.
- Military Police: call 190 in cases of immediate danger or ongoing aggression.
- Guarda Civil Municipal: call 153 for flagrant incidents in municipalities that are part of the system.
- Protective orders: request them at the Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher (DDM) or through the online report at the Delegacia Eletrônica.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office of São Paulo and social care networks monitor similar cases to make sure urgent protective measures are applied when the victim’s vulnerability is proven. Footage from the restaurant’s internal cameras will remain attached to the inquiry file to support the prosecutors’ position on possible criminal sanctions against the suspect.
