PJ arrests suspects of injuring bus driver set on fire during riots in Lisbon

Those arrested face attempted murder charges. Some of the suspects already have a history of juvenile crime.

The Judicial Police (PJ) carried out a vast operation this Wednesday to capture those responsible for setting fire to a bus in Santo António dos Cavaleiros, in Loures, in an attack that ended up leaving the driver injured and with serious burns. The incident occurred during the wave of riots following the death of Odair Moniz, shot by the PSP in the Cova da Moura neighborhood last month.

According to information obtained by , several suspects have already been detained and are at the PJ facilities for interrogation. The detainees face accusations of co-authorship of crimes such as attempted homicide.

The operation, coordinated by the homicide section, involved around 50 inspectors from the Lisbon directorate and targeted a dozen young people residents of the Cidade Nova area. The suspects were identified throughout the investigations, based on testimonies and other evidence collected by the authorities.

The crime occurred in dawn of October 24tharound 2:00 am, when the victim, Tiago Cacais, was behind the wheel of a Carris Metropolitana bus. The attackers ambushed the vehicle, throwing bottles of fuel inside and directly at the driver. The resulting flames caused serious burns to the victim’s face, chest and upper limbs, who was hospitalized for almost a month in the burns unit at Santa Maria Hospital.

The attack on the driver is considered the most serious among the several incidents recorded following the death of Odair Moniz, a 43-year-old man who was shot by the PSP during a chase. His death sparked a wave of riots that lasted a week, with the destruction of buses, cars and trash cans in different locations, and also inspired a large demonstration in Lisbon against police violence.

Investigations revealed that some of the suspects have antecedents related to juvenile crime. The PJ continues its ongoing investigations, and new developments are expected in the coming hours.