A Brazilian waiter who was shot in the leg trying to prevent a street robbery turned out to be a convicted robber on the run and was arrested, police said on Friday.
"What started as an apparent altruistic act had a quite unexpected finish. The waiter, considered until then a hero, turned out to be a convicted runaway," said a police spokesperson.
The man's behaviour while in a hospital, where he was treated for his wound, prompted detectives to check his record. They found a 1996 arrest warrant for him and took him to prison, where he will serve a seven-year sentence.
Police were checking the victim's testimony to see if the man had really protected an innocent woman from assailants or was taking part in the robbery.
The woman was attacked in broad daylight last Wednesday in downtown Rio de Janeiro as she left a bank holding an envelope .
Rio is one of the world's most violent cities due to its rampant street crime and frequent drug gang clashes. - Reuters