A Brazilian mayor who is accused of shooting at his estranged wife and her boyfriend has turned himself into authorities.
Naçoitan Leite, the mayor of the central city of Iporá, presented himself before the police department Thursday morning and claimed not to have any recollections over the incident.
‘He says he doesn’t remember,’ Civil Police chief Ramon Queiroz said, as quoted by online news outlet G1. ‘He says he has a loss of memory due to several factors and doesn’t know exactly what happened.
Leite has been on the run since early Saturday morning after a surveillance camera captured the moment he showed up at his wife’s home.
Brazilian Mayor Naçoitan Leite turned himself into the police Thursday, five days after he allegedly drove his pickup truck in the home of his estranged wife and fired 15 shots at her and her boyfriend. Leite told the police that he did not remember the incident
Naçoitan Leite, the mayor of the central Brazilian city of Iporá, and his wife have been married for 15 years, but separated two months ago
He plowed his pickup truck into the residence before he fired 15 shots at his wife and her new lover, who were hiding in a bedroom. Neither of them were injured.
Queiroz said that Leite claimed to have ‘woke up on a side road without remembering anything.’
The mayor is facing two attempted murder charges. He was interrogated at the police station and provide the weapon that he reportedly used in the shooting.
He was then transferred to a prison in Iporá, where he will remain as his legal process plays out.
Authorities are still searching for another weapon owned by Leite, who was seen on camera placing the guns next to each other on top of a counter in the lobby of a hotel where he had been staying at while his farm home underwent renovations.
Naçoitan Leite (right), the mayor of the Brazilian central city of Iporá, and his wife (left)
A couch was struck by gunfire after Brazilian mayor Naçoitan Leite fired 15 shots, aimed at his estranged wife and her boyfriend on Saturday. Leite turned himself in to the police on Thursday
Mayor Naçoitan Leite is seen arriving at a jail in Iporá, Brazil, where he will remain while his legal process plays out
The mayor’s lawyer, Thales Jayme, told G1 he hopes the judge overseeing the case would consider releasing him from jail because he volunteered to turn himself in.
‘I believe that by presenting it (the gun) he can give his version, as he has already given, he clarified the facts, and most importantly, that it is in his interest to collaborate with the justice’ Jayme said. ‘Our objective is to set him free, we will take the appropriate measures, respecting any and all judicial decisions.’
Leite’s wife told TV Anhanguera that he arrived at the home shouting her name moments before he barreled the pickup truck into the residence, shattering the kitchen’s glass.
‘I’m sure he came to kill me,’ she said.
The couple had been married for 15 years before they decided to go their separate ways two months ago.
Surveillance camera still image allegedly showed Brazilian Mayor Naçoitan Leite ramming his pickup truck into the home of his estranged wife before he opened fire on her and her boyfriend, who were hiding inside a bedroom
The mayor shattered a glass door inside his estranged wife’s home after he plowed his pickup truck into it
Some of the bullets that were fired by the mayor pierced through a mattress and comforter
Brazilian online news outlet Metropoles gained access to a recording of a conversation in which Leite allegedly told a person that he had lost his ‘mind’ by carrying out the crime.
However, he defended his actions, claiming that his wife’s boyfriend had previously threatened him.
‘The thing is, the guy was already in a relationship with my ex-wife, that was the reason for the separation, I never said that to anyone, but that was the reason, understand?’ said Leite, who is facing attempted homicide charges.
‘Then the guy started making threats at me, understand? And then you know that we don’t like threats, but I lost my mind, understand?’ he added.
‘And I did it there. Shouldn’t have done it, right? But I did it, it’s done, there’s no way to go back, but thank you very much in advance for your support.’