The fourth member of the criminal group fled, but was identified by the police and is under investigation
The Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) released a summary of the three days of the Lollapalooza festival in the late afternoon of Sunday 24. In total, 44 stolen or stolen cell phones were recovered and, in addition, eight arrests were made, of which three were detained , wanted by the courts.
According to the SSP, the shots recorded at Lollapalooza were obtained through the use of facial recognition technology. “The images are transmitted in real time to police agencies. When an event of public safety concern is detected, alerts are generated and sent to police officers in the field.”
In the early hours of this Sunday, the Military Police of São Paulo arrested two men, aged 32 and 34, and a woman, aged 22, during the festival. The three allegedly stole more than 30 cell phones which were recovered by the officers. Together with them, another woman participated in the action and managed to escape from the police. During her escape, the suspect dropped her identity document, which was fake, but it was recognized by two victims and is now under investigation.
Contacted by Estadão, the festival organization responded that “it has an Operations Center that monitors everything that happens inside the Interlagos Hippodrome and works in collaboration with public bodies, responsible for policing the surrounding area”. Furthermore, he recommends “anyone who has experienced this type of situation” to contact the police station located at gate A to file a report.
Natália Moreno Verrastro, 32, was one of the group’s victims. The TV producer recalls that she was watching the band 30 Seconds to Mars perform on the festival’s main stage when she noticed the trio moving. “They stood in front, disturbing, clashing. When they passed, I instinctively put my hand in my pocket, it was a zippered pocket in my jacket, so my cell phone wasn’t there,” she says.
The victim remembers chasing the group and arguing with one of them. “She said he hadn’t done anything and that he could watch. The cell phone was definitely already with someone else. When I looked back, looking for a security guard, he ran away. Natália opened a police report but she was unable to recover the stolen device.
On Saturday evening, the 23rd, during the performance of the Titãs band, the Estadão report noted an anomalous movement on the left side of the stage. Then, a young man turned on the flashlight on his cell phone and asked permission from those around him. He was looking for his partner’s cell phone, but in vain. When the girl realized she had been kidnapped, she felt sick and fainted. She was removed from the public eye with the help of a third party. There were no security guards around at the time.
According to military police, the suspects were identified when another victim reported being robbed by two women during the event. The boy turned to the police and provided the geolocation of the device, which was found together with 32 other cell phones inside the backpack of one of the robbers.
According to the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP), some of the recovered cellphones were of high value and cost up to R$9,000, three of which were returned to the victims.
Silent fans
On the morning of this Sunday 24th, however, the fans did not define the issue of safety as a challenge during the days of the festival. Some even said they felt safer than last year.
“The magazine was much better,” says Mariana, 24. Also Giovana Roque, 25, who on Sunday was waiting alone for the arrival of a friend to check on SZA: “I thought he was calm, I felt safe.”
Leonardo Francis, 27, and Larissa Munhoz, 25, also praised the police around the Interlagos racecourse. “It’s better than last year, there are more policemen,” says Leonardo.
Leni Veiga, 57, who came to the event for the first time on Sunday, also praised the police. “I’m having fun,” she comments.
What do the festival organizers say?
Contacted by Estadão to comment on the theft at the festival, the Lollapalooza organization sent the following note:
“The festival has an Operations Center that monitors everything that happens within the Interlagos Racecourse and works in collaboration with public bodies, responsible for policing the surrounding area. Around 1,300 professionals work at the headquarters in the safety area. Furthermore, a Civil Police station is installed at gate A to facilitate the registration of any events and manage situations that occur during the event. Stolen and recovered cell phones are brought to this location, where they can be returned to their owners. Therefore, the recommendation is, for anyone who has experienced this type of situation, to contact this police station to file a report. It is worth mentioning that Lost and Found works in the Service Center. Various items, including phones, were found at the site and delivered to this location.”
Service cabin
The Prime Minister is working at the festival with an exclusive cabin to handle incidents. Managed by officers from the Operations Center of the Military Police of São Paulo (Copom), the aim is to facilitate communication between operators and police officers during the event.
In addition to the operational stand, Copom is working with English and Spanish interpreters to assist foreign tourists who are enjoying the festival. Calls that are generally made from the operations center – the 190 number known to Brazilians – can also be made from 911, the number that centralizes emergency assistance in the United States. Likewise, anyone who calls 112, the emergency contact for European Union countries, will also have the call addressed to the Copom in Sao Paulo.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
