Main Suspect Arrested
The main suspect in the murder of Manuel 'Manu' Gonçalves, a 19-year-old who was stabbed at the Bar Académico of the University of Minho in Braga, has been arrested. This incident occurred just before he was set to be deported from Portugal due to a criminal record in the United States.
Background of the Suspect
Mateus Machado, a 27-year-old Brazilian citizen, was previously convicted about four years ago for his involvement in an armed robbery group in the USA, serving a sentence of two years and three months. After being deported from the US, he arrived in Portugal under a manifestation of interests. His application for residency was already under review, and an expulsion order was imminent just three days after the murder.
Life in Portugal
Machado was living in Gaia with his 17-year-old Bulgarian girlfriend and had come to Portugal in the summer of 2023 after completing his sentence in the US. The Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) issued a negative opinion regarding his request for regularization, citing his criminal background, which corresponds to a crime in Portugal punishable by one year or more in prison.
Arrest Details
He was detained in a mountainous and border area of the district of Castelo Branco and was reportedly ready to flee the country, according to the Braga Judicial Police. The tragic event occurred on April 12, when Manuel Gonçalves, a student at Escola Dª Maria II, was fatally stabbed. Witnesses reported that he had confronted Machado and his group in the bar after they allegedly attempted to drug drinks of female patrons. The PJ continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding this crime.
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