Police arrested two suspects in connection with the killing of Brazilian journalist Auro Ida on Oct. 17 in Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso, reported Diário de Cuiabá.
The Civil Police of Mato Grosso released a press statement announcing they considered the crime solved and that personal issues motivated the journalist's killing, according to Folha de São Paulo.
Reports indicated that one of the two detained was a man known as "Baby," who was arrested a few days after the crime but was released when he wasn't recognized by the only witness. The other suspect's name was not released but likely assisted in the crime's planning, according to the website 24 Horas News. Businessman Rubens Alves de Lima, the supposed mastermind, is still at large.
According to police investigations, Lima had recently broken up with the woman who was dating Ida and paid over $1,100 (BRL $2,000) to have the journalist killed, reported MT Notícias. After the killing, the businessman was brought in by police but, at the time, there was not enough evidence to hold him.
Auro Ida was shot to death on Jun. 21 when leaving his girlfriend's house. The circumstances surrounding the crime and Ida's work as a local political reporter lead colleagues to suspect the killing was related to his work as a journalist.
The Journalists Syndicate of Mato Grosso and the local branch of the Brazilian Order of Lawyers had asked for the Federal Police to get involved with the case.
