A Brazilian mayor accused of shooting his estranged wife and her boyfriend has turned himself in to authorities.
Naçoitan Leite, the mayor of the central city of Iporá, presented himself at the police station on Thursday morning and claimed to have no memory of the incident.
“He says he doesn’t remember,” said Ramon Queiroz, head of the civil police, as quoted by online news channel G1. ‘He says he has memory loss due to various factors and doesn’t know exactly what happened.
Leite has been on the run since early Saturday morning after a surveillance camera captured the moment he showed up at his wife’s home.
Brazilian Mayor Naçoitan Leite turned himself in to police on Thursday, five days after he allegedly drove his pickup truck into his estranged wife’s home and fired 15 shots at her and her boyfriend. Leite told police he had no memory of the incident
Naçoitan Leite, the mayor of the central Brazilian city of Iporá, and his wife have been married for 15 years but separated two months ago
He plowed his pickup into the home before firing 15 shots at his wife and her new lover, who were hiding in a bedroom. Neither was injured.
Queiroz said Leite claimed to have “woken up on a side street with no memory of anything.”
The mayor faces two charges of attempted murder. He was questioned at the police station and handed over the gun he allegedly used in the shooting.
He was then transferred to a prison in Iporá, where he will remain while his legal process plays out.
Authorities are still looking for another gun owned by Leite, who was seen on camera placing the weapons side by side on a counter in the lobby of a hotel where he was staying while his ranch was being renovated.
Naçoitan Leite (right), the mayor of Brazil’s central city of Iporá, and his wife (left)
A bank was hit by gunfire after Brazilian Mayor Naçoitan Leite fired 15 shots Saturday, targeting his estranged wife and her boyfriend. Leite turned himself in to the police on Thursday
Mayor Naçoitan Leite arrives at a prison in Iporá, Brazil, where he will stay while his legal trial plays out
The mayor’s lawyer, Thales Jayme, told G1 that he hopes the judge overseeing the case would consider releasing him from jail because he volunteered to turn himself in.
“I believe that by presenting it (the weapon) he can give his version, as he has already given, he has clarified the facts, and most importantly that it is in his interest to cooperate with the justice system,” Jayme said . “Our goal is to release him. We will take appropriate action and respect all court decisions.”
Leite’s wife told TV Anhanguera that he arrived at the house and shouted her name just before driving the pickup into the home and shattering the glass in the kitchen.
“I’m sure he came to kill me,” she said.
The couple was married for 15 years before deciding to go their separate ways two months ago.
A still image from a surveillance camera reportedly showed Brazilian Mayor Naçoitan Leite ramming his pickup truck into his estranged wife’s home before opening fire on her and her boyfriend, who were hiding in a bedroom
The mayor shattered a glass door in his estranged wife’s home after plowing his pickup into it
Some of the bullets fired by the mayor pierced a mattress and a duvet
Brazilian online news outlet Metropoles obtained access to a recording of a conversation in which Leite allegedly told someone that he had gone “mad” by committing the crime.
However, he defended his actions and claimed his wife’s boyfriend had previously threatened him.
‘The thing is that the man was already in a relationship with my ex-wife, that was the reason for the divorce. I never said that to anyone, but that was the reason, understand?’ said Leite, who is charged with attempted murder.
‘Then the man started threatening me, understand? And then you know we don’t like threats, but I’m crazy, understand?’ he added.
“And I did it there. Shouldn’t have done it, right? But I did it, it’s done, there’s no turning back, but thank you in advance for your support.”