Police capture suspected serial killer disguised as woman, carrying baby

Brazilian police said Friday they had captured a suspected serial killer linked to at least 16 deaths since May, who was arrested while disguised as a woman and carrying a baby.

He claims to have killed more than four times that number.

The suspect was arrested Sunday after a 30-hour police manhunt in a forested area of Paraiba state in northeastern Brazil.

He was wearing a dress and long black wig, which police described as a disguise to evade capture. In a statement, they said he had been carrying a baby in his arms.

Images and video published by local media, including O Globo, showed the suspect with painted nails wearing a striped dress, a dark wig, women's sandals and sunglasses.

Police said the child he was carrying was not related to him. Police did not release details on the baby's condition.

"Although the suspect claimed involvement in 80 homicides, civil police have confirmed his participation in 16 killings in the region, 11 of which he confessed to during questioning," police told AFP.

The 16 homicides all took place since May. The identities of the victims and details of the killings have not been made public.

The suspect was identified by authorities as 33-year-old Jorlan Lopes da Silva, Record R7 reported.

The suspect evaded an earlier attempt to arrest him a few weeks ago after a confrontation with security forces, who consider him a member of an "ultra-violent" criminal group.

In a video of his interrogation obtained by AFP, the man said he acted alone and denied having ties to organized crime.

Instead, he claimed all his victims were "linked to the criminal world" and he was taking justice into his own hands in response to threats against himself and his family.

"I never acted against any family man, mother or working person," he said, denying being a "psychopath."

He said he had committed his first homicide at the age of 13.

After the earlier attempt to arrest the suspect, police seized bulletproof vests, the stock of a submachine gun and over 100 rounds of ammunition, which the man acknowledged were his during questioning. Two other men were arrested during the operation on suspicion of involvement in the crime, according to iG Último Segundo.

Under Brazilian law, he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, according to Record R7.

The region of Mulungu, where the killings took place, lies 1,553 miles north of Rio de Janeiro.  

The Associated Press contributed to this report.