As she was driving along João Vicente street (Rua João Vicente) and slowed at a traffic light at the corner of Henrique de Melo street in the Oswaldo Cruz neighborhood shortly after nine o'clock at night, there were already two cars stopped ahead of them. One of these was a taxi out of which three young men suddenly emerged, with two of them pointing handguns. They tapped on the car windows to show that they were metal and not fake. They surrounded the family's car and forced everyone to get out. João Hélio's mother, Rosa, who had been a victim of a street assault before, knew not to resist. She rushed to the backseat to help João Hélio unbuckle his seat belt, but was pushed aside by one of the robbers and the car door slammed onto the seatbelt holding the child, leaving João Hélio's body hanging outside of the car. The thieves then accelerated the vehicle at a high speed. Rosa and Aline chased the car screaming.