As police still hunt for the man who shot four female members of his family over three weeks ago, an exclusive news story reveals that parole officers ignored two alerts as the killer advanced on his targets, ultimately killing two outright and seriously injuring two others.
The first came just before lunchtime, when Manuel Pinto Baltazar’s electronic bracelet pinged to show he was violating the terms of his parole which forbade him to approach his estranged wife Maria Angelina.
According to Correio da Manhã newspaper, although this was the second time this had happened, parole officers did nothing.
An hour later, Maria Angelina called to say she had received a warning from neighbours that her ex-husband “was nearby”.
Again, parole officers did nothing – simply telling the woman to “let them know” if Baltazar came any closer.
Finally, just before 4pm, a second ‘ping’ showed them Baltazar was getting much too close. Parole officers are reported to have tried calling both the killer and his former wife. Neither answered. This is because by this time Baltazar had blasted Maria Angelina’s mother and aunt to death, and shot both his wife and daughter.
As the parole office finally called 112 for police assistance, Maria Angelina returned their call.
Said CM: “She told them she had been shot in the leg and she didn’t know whether her daughter, mother and aunt were dead.”
Maria Angelina’s daughter – shot in the chest – was airlifted to life-saving surgery and Baltazar has been on the run ever since.
His electronic bracelet was discovered after the killings, cut in two and on the roof of his car.
Assistant parole office director Licínio Lima defended the decision not to call in police earlier, telling CM that when his men spoke to Maria Angelina at 2pm she had told them she was with relatives and “for this reason, would be safe”.
This is not the only situation where the justice system seems to have failed the family.
Baltazar had already been described as “temperamental and difficult to treat” in a psychological evaluation and had repeatedly threatened his wife, her aunt and his own son with violence.
Today (May 9) sees Baltazar eluding capture for the 22nd day since the killings.
