Brazilian authorities are investigating the disappearance of an actor and model who was last seen walking out of his home in the southeastern city of São Paulo.
Surveillance camera footage shows Ricardo Merini, 37, arriving at his residence in the Bela Vista neighborhood last Saturday at 9:47pm and then leaving the apartment at 11:36pm.
News outlet G1 reported he had arrived from a trip in Chapecó but never showed up to meet a friend.
‘(He) got ready to meet a friend who was a few minutes away on foot from where he lives. He left on foot, but didn’t reach that friend,’ Fernanda said.
Brazilian actor and model Ricardo Merini disappeared last Saturday after he left his condominium in São Paulo, Brazil, to meet with a friend
Surveillance camera shows the moment Ricardo Merini arrived at his apartment
Authorities located Ricardo Merini’s cellphone in the São Paulo neighborhood of Jaguaré
Fernanda added that Merini was chatting with his friend via text message before he went missing.
The São Paulo Public Security Secretariat said in a statement that Homicide and Personal Protection Department’s missing person’s unit is handling the case.
The department director, Ivalda Alexio, said that because Merini was not reported missing until Tuesday, authorities had lost three critical days that would have been dedicated to his search.
‘There are three days of images that we could have captured, three days of what happened on the way he left the apartment with his cell phone in his hand and went, according to another friend, to meet a colleague, where he never arrived. These three days harm the investigation,’ Alexio said.
Alexio said that a search of Merini’s apartment showed that no items were stolen.
Investigators pinged his cellphone to Jaguaré, a neighborhood on the west side of São Paulo, and have requested phone records from the mobile carrier.
Alexio added that they will be looking into text messages and would be interested in gaining access to his WhatsApp account, but acknowledged that it would be ‘difficult’ to do so.
They have also done a through search of hospitals, but have still not located him. Authorities are looking into dating apps that Merini may have used.
Police have canvassed hospitals in São Paulo in hopes of locating Brazilian actor and model Ricardo Merini, who has been missing since last Saturday
Ricardo Merini has appeared in three movies and a theatrical play
Witnesses told investigators that he didn’t have any problem with friends or residents in the condominium.
Merini attended the Cécilia Helena School, where he studied performing arts.
He appeared in three films, Noite na Taversa (2015), Asco (2015) and O Coracao do Principe (2015).
Merini also played a role in the theatrical play, Terro and Missery in the Third Reich (2012).