Crime & Safety

Man Wanted For Murder in Brazil Arrested in Fairfield

Held Without Bond, Picked Up By U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at 7:15 A.M. Monday

A Bridgeport man wanted for murder in Brazil was arrested after he left The Edge, a popular gym on Kings Highway Cutoff in Fairfield, police said Monday.

Patrol Sgt. Hector Irizarry noticed a car matching the description of a car associated with Helio Nogueira-Santos, 44, of Elmwood Avenue, who was wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on Saturday afternoon, and a detective went inside to verify that someone in the gym matched Nogueira-Santos' description.

Irizarry and the detective then waited outside for Nogueira-Santos to leave the gym, police said. Nogueira-Santos left the gym with another man, Jefferson Wagner Damasio Perelira, 33, also of Elmwood Avenue, about 5:34 p.m., and the two got into a blue Dodge Dakota and drove from the gym's parking lot onto Meadow Street and then turned south on New England Avenue, police said.

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Police then pulled the car over and arrested Nogueira-Santos, who was a passenger in the car, and Perelira, the driver. Perelira was charged with misuse of plates, failure to insure a motor vehicle, failure to register a motor vehicle, and driving without a license.

Both Nogueira-Santos and Perelira were held without bond at the Fairfield Police Department until an agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrived at the Police Department at 7:15 a.m. Monday to take custody of them, police said.

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Police Chief Gary MacNamara said police had received information that Nogueira-Santos may be in the area and located him the following day. "Several different members of our department and divisions in the department worked hand-in-hand with members of ICE to catch this individual," he said.

MacNamara said he didn't know details of the murder in Brazil but said it was significant that police apprehended "a significant criminal living in our midst."

"Someone in Brazil lost their life because of this guy. It's nice to know the Fairfield Police Department was able to assist in bringing that individual to justice," MacNamara said.


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