A Brazilian robbery suspect gave a new meaning to "mugging for the camera" as he tried to rip a necklace off a woman giving a television interview on the need for greater police presence on Rio de Janeiro streets.
RJTV reporter Eduardo Tchao was interviewing the woman on Wednesday when a hand reached around the woman's neck grabbing for her necklace. A video that was later posted on
YouTube showed a man running with Tchao giving chase,
reported the New York Daily News.
Tchao returned to complete the interview after failing to catch the man, the Daily News reported. The woman found her chain broken on the sidewalk, apparently dropped by the accused robber in the attempt.
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Police eventually found and arrested the alleged robber,
reported Gawker.com.
Crime in Brazil, especially in its largest cities like Rio de Janeiro, are a concern as the country will host two of the world's largest tourist-driven sporting events – the World Cup this summer and the summer Olympic Games in 2016.
The
Bureau of Diplomatic Security in the U.S. Department of State has rated Rio de Janeiro's crime rate critical for more than two decades and reported in 2013 that crime remained at high and rising levels, but murder crimes slowed.
"While crime rates remain at critical levels, the homicide rate continues to fall," the bureau's report on crime in Brazil stated. "Since 2005, homicides in the state and city of Rio de Janeiro have declined over 50 percent in real numbers and in the homicide rate (homicides per 100,000 inhabitants)."
"Despite this drop, in 2012 there were still 4,041 homicides in Rio de Janeiro state and 1,209 homicides in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The homicide rate in the state and city of Rio de Janeiro has dropped dramatically from 42 homicides per 100,000 in 2005 to 24 homicides per 100,000 in 2012," the report continued.
National Public Radio reported that criminals had compromised 14 ATM machines at the main airport in Rio de Janeiro, allowing them copy tourists' ATM cards.
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