In Marília, São Paulo, brothers Marcelo Alves da Costa and Marcos Alves da Costa have been formally charged with the murder of Rafael Francisco Alves Ferreira, who was killed over a debt related to loan sharking. The Public Ministry's charges were accepted by the court, and their temporary detention has been converted to preventive detention, pending trial. The incident occurred on January 16, when Ferreira confronted Marcelo at a trailer manufacturing company regarding an unpaid debt.

Witness accounts and the investigation detail a violent confrontation in which Ferreira was physically assaulted at the workplace. The investigation indicates that Marcos struck Ferreira in the neck with a hammer, using a stealthy approach from behind. Subsequently, Marcelo allegedly took the hammer and inflicted further injuries before the brothers attempted to dispose of Ferreira's body by burning it in a Porsche vehicle, indicating a calculated effort to destroy evidence.

This tragic case raises significant concerns around violent crime and debt-related disputes in Brazil, especially regarding loan sharks. The action taken by authorities to transform the brothers' detention from temporary to preventive could signal a commitment to tackle serious crime in the region, aiming to provide justice for the victim's family while addressing broader issues of violence rooted in financial disputes.