At the time of the incident, Police Chief Hercules Pires do Nascimento stated that the thieves were well aware that they were dragging a child, and even drove in a zig-zag fashion to try to get rid of him. He added that their demeanor was cold and indifferent. At one point one of the thieves shouted to those attempting to alert them, "That's not a child, it's a Judas doll." Witnesses reported seeing the child's body toppled over many times, bouncing against the pavement and the rear wheel, aggravated by numerous speed bumps along the route that the thieves took. After the carjackers reached Bornéu street in Cascadura, they turned off onto small Caiari street, which ends in a dead-end. There they parked the car and according to a resident who recognized the group, after getting out of the car and seeing the child, searched the car for valuables and then calmly disappeared down an alleyway of stairs that exits into Três Lagoas square in Cascadura; leaving João Hélio's mangled body still hanging from the car.