Who is Begolea Mendes Fernandes? Suspected cannibal arrested after police find ‘suspicious meat’ in suitcase

A package of ‘suspicious meat’ and bloodstaining cloth was found in the suitcase of a Brazilian murder suspect, who police believe may have engaged in “cannibal practices.”

He is said to have fled the Dutch capital and boarded the flight to Lisbon where he was caught with a suitcase containing pieces of meat and bloodstained clothes.

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Who is Begolea Mendes Fernandes?

Begolea Mendes Fernandes was taken into custody at Lisbon airport on suspicion of killing 21-year-old Alan Lopes in Amsterdam on Sunday. He is 26 years old.

The contents of his luggage were analyzed by forensic experts at a specialist lab. They have determined that they are human remains. However, the remains are not that of Lopes who Fernandes is suspected of murdering in northern Amsterdam on Sunday.

The Portuguese Borders and Immigration Service officers initially detained Fernandes on suspicion of carrying forged documents, an Italian identity card, and other paperwork bearing a name different than his own.

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“After contact with the authorities of the Netherlands, the country where he resided, it was confirmed that he was wanted on suspicion of committing a crime of murder that occurred on February 26, in Amsterdam, which led the judicial authorities of that country to issue, already yesterday afternoon, a European Arrest Warrant for extradition purposes,” authorities said.

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Fernandes gained border officers’ attention because he had a bandage on his right hand. When they inspected his suitcase, they found the meat along with bloodstained clothing.

The police suspected that Fernandes had engaged in “cannibal practices,” reported Portuguese media.

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Fernandes described himself on Facebook as “2% genius, 98% crazy.” He made his first court appearance in Lisbon earlier this week and will remain in custody pending his extradition to the Netherlands.

On Sunday night, Lopes was found dead at a house in Amsterdam that he shared with his mother and sister, who were away at the time.

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The victim’s sister, Kamila Lopes, said that Fernandes was homeless and would stay with the family whenever he had nowhere else to go, reported news site Noticias ao Minuto.