Passengers on line 415 (Usina x Leblon) experienced moments of tension and solidarity on Wednesday afternoon (27), in the Cidade Nova region, in downtown Rio de Janeiro. A woman had her cell phone stolen inside the bus, but the device was eventually recovered after the reaction of two men who chased the suspect.
The incident occurred around 17 PM, when Ana Luiza Steffen picked up her phone to let her mother know she was okay after leaving work. According to reports, the suspect entered through the back door of the bus, heading towards Tijuca, and snatched the phone from the victim's hands before the bus doors even closed.
The incident caused immediate outrage among the passengers. Upon realizing the theft, Filipe Silveira, 27, decided to chase after the thief to try and recover the young woman's cell phone.
Two men improvise a chase after the suspect.
During the chase, Filipe asked for help from another man on the bus, whom he didn't even know. The man who answered the call was Adriano da Costa Salles, who left his backpack and belongings on the bus and ran alongside him.
According to Filipe, the two managed to catch the suspect and even held him for a few moments. However, the man managed to escape. During the escape, Filipe shouted for the thief to return the stolen device.
Under pressure, the suspect threw the cell phone on the ground before fleeing the area. The device was recovered and returned to the victim shortly afterward.
Passengers helped wait for the men to return.
While the chase was happening, passengers who remained inside the bus asked the driver to wait for the pair to return, since Adriano and Filipe had left their belongings on the bus.
When the two returned, they were greeted with applause and emotion. Ana Luiza recovered her cell phone and thanked the men for their gesture. Some passengers even filmed the moment the device was returned.
In the rush to chase after the suspect, Adriano lost one of his flip-flops. As a way of thanking him, Ana Luiza gave him a new pair when she got off the bus.
The passenger said he acted because he had already been a victim.
Filipe explained that he decided to act because he had already been through the same situation on public transport and put himself in the victim's place.
“I’ve been robbed on the bus before too, they took my phone. I felt like I was in the girl’s place. I didn’t think twice,” he said.
He also said he was happy to be able to help Ana Luiza and recover the stolen device.
The news report stated that they contacted the Military Police, but there was no response as of the last update on the case.
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