Carlinhos Mendigo is arrested for pension debt; He moved between four apartments in SP to escape the police, says investigator

Carlos had been on the run since November last year, when an arrest warrant was issued for him. His arrest occurred while he was traveling along Avenida Nove de Julho, in the Jardins region.

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Carlinhos Mendigo, comedian - Photo Reproduction/Instagram

Carlos Alberto da Silva, 44 years old, popularly known as Carlinhos Mendigo, former member of the comedy program "Panic On TV", was arrested this Tuesday (18) in São Paulo due to a child support debt. According to police information, Carlinhos had been fleeing from the authorities for months and hiding in different locations to avoid arrest. Carlinhos Mendigo had been wanted since November 13, 2023, when authorities from the 2nd Precinct of the Captures Division of the Department of Strategic Police Operations (DOPE) issued a civil arrest warrant for non-payment of pension to his son Arthur.

The investigation

The case of Carlinhos Mendigo caught the attention of authorities after several unsuccessful attempts to locate him. At the end of last month, Complaints were made to the civil police about the artist's whereabouts, which began the investigation. According to the investigator responsible for the case, Carlinhos moved between four different apartments in the capital of São Paulo during the night. The strategy, according to the investigator, was to frequently change addresses to make the police's work more difficult.

"None of the apartments were his. They were all borrowed by successful friends, staying in each location for a short time, which made their location a true intelligence operation”, explained the investigator.

The prison

Carlinhos' arrest occurred after the police were finally able to trace a pattern in his movements. In a successful operation, authorities managed to capture him without resistance. The police established surveillance on Avenida Nove de Julho, in the Jardins region, an upscale area of ​​the capital, due to the fact that the target used to pass through this region. At around 12:30 pm, investigators saw Carlinhos Mendigo driving a black car and proceeded with the approach. According to delegate Maria Julia, the vehicle in which the comedian was found was not registered in his name and had been borrowed.

After more than 20 days of chasing the comedian, he was arrested and taken to the Capture Division, located at the Civil Police Palace, located in the center of São Paulo. On Tuesday afternoon, he underwent a forensic examination at the Legal Medical Institute (IML) and was then taken to the prison of the 18th Police District (DP) of Alto da Mooca. The comedian will have a custody hearing tomorrow (19). If he does not pay the pension debt, he will be detained for 30 days and if he pays the pension, the Court will release him.

Pension Debt

Carlos had his temporary arrest ordered in 2022 by the São Paulo Court due to non-payment of the pension owed to his son Arthur, fruit of his relationship with former dancer and businesswoman Aline Hauck. Despite police efforts, Carlos was not located and has been considered a fugitive ever since. The court carried out searches in São Paulo and Salvador, Bahia, but without success. At the time, Carlos' defense chose not to comment on his escape.

The child support debt that resulted in Carlinhos Mendigo's arrest is substantial. Sources close to the case claim that the amount owed is R$ 246.9 thousand. Carlinhos always claimed financial difficulties to justify non-payment of the pension, but the courts did not accept his justifications. According to the Civil Police, the artist is facing his third arrest warrant for non-payment of pension. In 2022, Carlos accumulated a debt of R$90 thousand and, on that occasion, he managed to resolve the problem through an agreement and obtained a habeas corpus.

Who is Carlinhos Mendigo?

Carlinhos Mendigo gained recognition on television and radio after his participation in the program "Panic On TV" in 2003. Initially working as an office boy at Jovem Pan, Mendigo dedicated his free time to watching the program's recordings, until he finally got a chance and joined the team. He remained in "Panic" until 2007 and returned years later.

"Vô, Num vô '' with Mano Quietinho (Vinícius Vieira) is one of the comedian's most famous paintings. Furthermore, he was known for playing the characters Silvio Santos Reptiliano, Sérgio Mallandro, Merchant Neves and Presidente Molusco, all very popular at the time. As a child, he left his home and lived on the streets for several years before taking shelter in a youth shelter. His parents had a history of alcoholism and domestic violence. After his participation in the program "Panic'', Mendigo was also invited to a program with Tom Cavalcanti and joined the cast of the first season of the reality show "The Farm".