A Brazilian man dubbed the "Homeless Exterminator" has been arrested in Espírito Santo state.
Marcelo Campos de Jesus, 37, was detained by civil police after murdering a 50-year-old homeless man named Vanilson Pereira. The victim was sleeping on the street in the Planalto Serrano neighborhood (Serra, Greater Vitória) when he was beaten to death with pieces of concrete.
According to authorities, Marcelo is suspected of killing at least seven homeless men in total. Six of the murders occurred in Teixeira de Freitas, Bahia, between November 2025 and April 2026. All victims were attacked in a similar way — with repeated blows to the head while they slept.
After the last murder in Bahia, he fled to Espírito Santo, where he committed the latest crime. He reportedly confessed to the killing in ES and used the little money stolen from the victim to buy trivial items like phone credits and candy.
Police are still investigating the full extent of the crimes. The case has shocked locals due to the targeted nature of the attacks against extremely vulnerable people.