Family man taxi driver's agonising death after robbers make him drink acid
Tiago Augusto Nicolau, a 30 year-old from Brazil, stepped out of his home to clean his car at his mother's place and never made it back. A day later, a worker stumbled upon him desperately clinging to life in the middle of a road.
The married taxi driver was discovered with grave damage to his mouth and tongue. Swiftly responding to the emergency, firefighters arrived on the scene and transported him to a hospital in Leme, north-west of São Paulo, where he was placed in the ICU.
Before his untimely death on June 18, Tiago managed to share fragments of the ordeal: at around 2pm that fateful day, two armed assailants had intercepted his vehicle and took him to a secluded area.
In this remote location, he underwent an assault and was coerced into swallowing a caustic substance. The villains then made off with his Renault Sandero and his mobile, reports the Mirror.
Although tests confirmed the ingestion of an acid, details about the precise nature of the chemical have not been disclosed.
Examinations further revealed that he had endured significant injuries to his larynx and oesophagus. Initially filed as a robbery, the incident is now under investigation as a robbery-homicide case by authorities following Tiago's passing in the medical facility.
Police are persistently trying to trace the culprits involved. Fondly remembered by those close to him, Tiago is depicted as a devoted family man, treasuring his time with his wife and their little girl, Sofia.
The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Following vision issues that led him to leave his position in the Brazilian Air Force, he had taken on a role as a rideshare driver. His burial took place on Friday, June 20, in Leme.
In a moving tribute, his friend Luana Sampaio stated: "Titi, you weren't just my best friend, you were my brother. A guy with a huge heart, full of plans, with a love that overflowed for Sofia, for whom you lived and dreamed every day."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Double rapist Simon McGinley back on the streets just days after prison release
This is notorious double rapist Simon McGinley out and about in a Co Louth town just days after he was released from prison. Evil McGinley, 52, walked free from the Midlands Prison on Wednesday after completing a sentence he received last year for breaching the conditions of the Sex Offenders Act. Our exclusive photos show the cowardly double rapist, dressed in a striped t-shirt, a grey zip-up jumper and black trousers and carrying a mobile phone and blue disposable vape, as The Irish Mirror tracked him down in Dundalk. The sicko sex fiend, who is now subject to Garda monitoring as he has been described as a dangerous individual, was in prison since August 2023 after he was sentenced at Dundalk Circuit Court for the breaches. As part of his release conditions, he is also under the supervision of the Probation Service for the next 12 years. He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life. In October 2022, the sex beast was released from Arbour Hill Prison, having served 13 years behind bars of an overall 21-year sentence for the brutal and shocking rape of an 85-year-old woman in her Co Monaghan home in 2008. A drunken McGinley had broken into her home and raped her repeatedly during the night and put his hand over her mouth. The elderly woman had been unfit to give evidence during the trial due to worsening dementia. But, a statement she had given at a previous district court hearing was read to the jury. The evil rapist was previously sentenced to 12 years in 1998 after pleading guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl in August 1997 — in a controversy known as the 'C Case'. The young girl at the centre of the infamous 'C Case' against him was involved in a legal battle over whether she was allowed to travel to the UK to have an abortion. Speaking out in 2009, the victim told RTÉ Radio how the brutal attack left her pregnant and forced her into a succession of care homes and how she was caught at the centre of an infamous legal battle over her right to have an abortion. 'He ruined my life and I am still coming to terms with that. My life is destroyed,' said the woman. 'I never got schooling or anything like that. I don't know how many times I tried to kill myself but I have a little five-year-old son now so he keeps me going.' Dangerous rapist McGinley has also previously been compared to infamous beast Larry Murphy and is considered a highly volatile sexual predator. And he was once deemed a person of interest in the case of missing JoJo Dullard. During his trial in 2009 for the rape of the elderly woman, Mr Justice Birmingham said he could find no mitigating circumstance. 'Rape is always a serious offence but within the spectrum of rapes this, in my view, is at the top of the upper end. This case is just about as bad as it gets,' he said. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Irish Daily Mirror
21 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man jailed for three years for ramming garda cars in 'Grand Theft Auto' crime
A man who deliberately rammed two garda cars while driving a stolen seven tonne rigid truck and also caused €25,000 in damage to parked cars in a scene which he compared to the video game Grand Theft Auto has been jailed for three years. Cork Circuit Criminal Court previously heard that Istvan Konyari was without previous convictions until November 2023 when he took part in a three-day "crime spree." His offending behaviour only ended when a member of the Armed Support Unit (ASU) fired a single shot through the windscreen of the stolen rigid truck. Det Garda Peter Quinn said that Mr Konyari put lives at risk as he rammed garda cars in the confined car park of Dwyer's Electrical in Forge Hill in Cork city on the morning of November 8, 2023. Mr Konyari, previously of Shandon Street in Cork, put his hands over his head and got out of the truck when the ASU member fired the shot at the windscreen. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week In his garda interview he compared his antics to the video game Grand Theft Auto. Mr Konyari felt that it was a case of "maximum stars" when a member of the ASU fired the single shot through his windscreen to bring his escapades to a halt. In addition to pleading guilty to the ramming offences Mr Konyari also admitted carrying out three burglaries, stealing the truck and previously stealing a van which he used to store the items he had robbed. Stolen items included an antique clock, coal, gas cylinders and toilet rolls. During the course of one burglary in Cork an apartment owner went in to their kitchen where they found Mr Konyari making coffee and eating crackers. He also stopped off at a garage forecourt and stole items from a washing machine. These included a nurse's uniform and children's clothing. When the owners of the uniform approached him and threatened to report him he returned the items to her. Defence barrister Alison McCarthy, BL, told Judge Helen Boyle that her client entered custody in 2023 following the incident. He had led a completely blameless life and worked continuously until 2021 when a large kettlebell fell on his head. Mr Konyari was also seriously injured in an assault in the same year. The court heard that the Hungarian national suffered mood and personality changes following the two incidents. However, he opted not to get help for his injury and instead self-medicated with illegal drugs. Judge Boyle said that she was cognisant of the fact that there was "reduced culpability" in the case arising out of the head injury. She said that she was aware that Mr Konyari was likely suffering from post concussion syndrome at the time of the offence. He was also under the influence of cocaine and cannabis. Mr Konyari wrote a letter of apology to gardai and persons impacted by his offending behaviour. He admitted that he regretted not seeking help for his head injury. Judge Boyle stated that an aggravating factor in the case was the "havoc caused" via multiple thefts including the robbery of two vehicles. "This is all culminated in a serious incident requiring the Armed Support Unit. You (Konyari) did a lot of damage to cars." Factoring in the signed plea in the case, the full co operation and remorse of the accused Judge Boyle jailed him for three and a half years suspending the final six months of the sentence. She also disqualified Mr Konyari from driving for a period of four years. Mr Konyari plans to return to his native country following his release from prison as he no longer has family in Ireland. The prison sentence was backdated to when he first entered custody in 2023.
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dublin takeaway family member robbed and assaulted American tourist, court hears
A young member of the Macari takeaway family robbed and assaulted an American tourist, kicking him to the head as he lay on the ground, a court has heard. Stefano Gianluca Macari (24) was caught by gardaí with his two co-accused smoking crack cocaine a short distance from where they left the tourist lying injured on the road, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today. Macari had the victim's wallet and bank cards on his person when he was searched by gardaí. He made no admissions when interviewed and was due to stand trial on the matter last February, but he failed to appear. He has been in custody since he was arrested in June and he entered guilty pleas shortly after, Jane McGowan BL, prosecuting, told the court. Macari, of the Spire Hostel, Marlboro Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery and assault causing harm to the man – an American doctor in his 40s – on April 27, 2023. His two co-accused, a man and a woman, entered earlier guilty pleas and were jailed for four and five years respectively. Macari has 27 previous convictions, including burglary, handling stolen property, theft and assault. Detective Garda Mark Reilly told the court that the tourist was in Temple Bar on the night in question and was trying to find his hotel when he was joined by Macari's male accomplice, who offered to help him home. While the pair were walking through Dublin, they were joined by Macari and the woman. They then set upon the man, assaulting him and causing him to fall to the ground. While there, Macari kicked him "a number of times in the head", prosecuting counsel said. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week The trio rifled through the man's pockets and stole cash and his wallet before fleeing the scene. They were arrested a short time later in a nearby petrol station. The tourist was treated by paramedics at the scene for his injuries, which included lacerations and bruising to the face. He declined to go to hospital and treated his injuries himself with temporary stitches, the court heard. A victim impact statement was handed into court but not read aloud. Judge Martina Baxter watched a short clip of CCTV footage of the incident from the bench and noted that before leaving the scene, Macari aimed a "gratuitous strong kick" to the victim's upper body. She noted the victim was left lying on a public road, where traffic could have come by. Derek Cooney BL, defending, said it was a "nasty, nasty crime" and that his client wanted to offer an unreserved apology for his actions that night. He said Macari is a member of the Macari takeaway family and has had "significant difficulties throughout his life". He has struggled with drug addiction and has been by ostracised by his family in recent years, the court heard. He has had periods of homelessness and living in hostels. His brother died of a heroin overdose some years ago and this caused Macari's life to spiral out of control, defence counsel said. "He has had opportunities, coming from a very well-respected family and educational opportunities, but drugs got the better of him," Mr Cooney said. He said Macari's father is supportive of him and an offer has been made for him to work in the family business upon his release. Judge Baxter said she would finalise the matter in November. She ordered a probation report, governer's report and urine analysis for that date.
