Influencer Gato Preto indicted in fatal Porsche crash on São Paulo avenue

A child passenger suffered a fractured jaw requiring hospitalization in the collision.
He said there were too many people filming.
The influencer's explanation for leaving the scene of the crash that injured a child.

Em uma tarde de agosto em São Paulo, a colisão de um Porsche em alta velocidade com um carro de família na Avenida Faria Lima deixou uma criança ferida e expôs uma sequência de escolhas que agora chegam ao sistema de justiça. O influenciador Samuel Sant'Anna da Costa, conhecido como Gato Preto, foi indiciado esta semana em quatro crimes — um desfecho formal para um episódio que tocou em questões antigas sobre privilégio, responsabilidade e o peso das consequências quando a fama não oferece proteção. O caso segue em investigação, e o silêncio da defesa ressoa como parte da história.

  • Uma criança teve a mandíbula fraturada depois que um Porsche avançou o sinal vermelho em alta velocidade e atingiu o carro em que ela estava com o pai.
  • O motorista abandonou a cena enquanto havia pessoas filmando — e foi encontrado horas depois em casa, nu, sem demonstrar urgência diante do que havia causado.
  • Exames toxicológicos confirmaram o consumo de álcool e drogas antes do acidente, contradizendo a versão apresentada pela defesa do influenciador.
  • A recusa ao bafômetro, a fuga do local e as imagens das câmeras corporais dos policiais compõem um conjunto de evidências que a investigação agora consolida.
  • Quatro acusações criminais foram formalizadas, e o caso segue aberto — enquanto a defesa permanece em silêncio público diante do indiciamento.

Na tarde de 20 de agosto, um Porsche 911 avançou o sinal vermelho em alta velocidade na Avenida Faria Lima, em São Paulo, e colidiu com um Hyundai HB20. Dentro do carro menor, um homem e seu filho pequeno. O menino fraturou a mandíbula e foi levado ao hospital. O motorista do Porsche, o influenciador Samuel Sant'Anna da Costa — conhecido como Gato Preto —, não parou.

Horas depois, a polícia o localizou em sua casa no Tremembé, zona norte da cidade. Ele não resistiu à abordagem, mas recusou o teste do bafômetro. Câmeras corporais dos policiais registraram a cena e o comportamento tranquilo do influenciador, que justificou ter saído do local dizendo que havia muita gente filmando.

Em setembro, o laudo toxicológico do Instituto Médico Legal confirmou o consumo de álcool e drogas antes do acidente. A defesa contestou os resultados, classificando-os como distorcidos. Esta semana, a Polícia Civil de São Paulo formalizou o indiciamento em quatro crimes. A investigação segue em andamento. A defesa não se manifestou publicamente sobre as acusações.

On the afternoon of August 20th, a black Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet—a 2020 model worth roughly 800,000 reais—ran a red light at high speed on Avenida Faria Lima in São Paulo's west side. The car struck a Hyundai HB20 carrying a man and his young son. The boy's jaw fractured on impact. He was taken to the hospital. The Porsche's driver, Samuel Sant'Anna da Costa, known online as Gato Preto, did not stop.

Hours later, police found him at his home in Tremembé, in the city's north zone. When officers arrived, he was naked, accompanied by two women who were also unclothed. He did not resist arrest, but he refused to take a breathalyzer test. Body camera footage captured the scene—the influencer's casual demeanor as he explained his departure from the crash site. He said there were too many people filming.

In September, a toxicology report from the Medical Legal Institute confirmed what investigators suspected: Gato Preto had consumed both alcohol and drugs before getting behind the wheel. His legal team dismissed the findings as distorted.

This week, São Paulo's Civil Police formally indicted him on four criminal charges stemming from the collision. The charges reflect the severity of what happened—a high-speed impact that left a child injured, a driver who fled, and evidence of impairment. The case remains under active investigation, authorities said, as they work toward a complete accounting of the facts.

Gato Preto's defense has not responded to requests for comment. The space for their statement remains open.

He stated there were too many people filming the scene as his reason for leaving the accident site.
— Gato Preto, to police
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Inventor

Why does it matter that he was found naked at home?

Model

It establishes the timeline and his state of mind. He didn't go to a hospital or a lawyer's office. He went home and was in a particular condition when police arrived—it suggests he wasn't in crisis mode, wasn't seeking help for anyone.

Inventor

The child's injury—was it serious?

Model

A fractured jaw in a child is serious enough to require hospitalization. It's not a minor scrape. It's the kind of injury that changes a kid's life for weeks or months.

Inventor

Why refuse the breathalyzer if he knew the toxicology would show drugs and alcohol anyway?

Model

That's the question, isn't it. Refusing the test is its own kind of evidence. It suggests he knew what the results would be and wanted to create ambiguity in the record.

Inventor

His defense called the toxicology report distorted. What does that mean?

Model

It means they're contesting the findings without actually disputing them. It's a way of saying the test was wrong without providing evidence it was wrong. It's a legal posture, not a defense.

Inventor

Four charges—what are they likely for?

Model

Likely some combination of reckless driving, fleeing the scene, endangering a minor, and driving under the influence. The specifics will matter when the case moves forward.

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