Shooting Suspect Arrested After A Search That Roiled A Community
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Courant.com
By STEVEN GOODE
Courant Staff Writer
December 22, 2007

HARTFORD, CT: The search for a Hartford man that spread panic in the city's Brazilian community ended Thursday in an arrest based on a tip generated by an episode of "America's Most Wanted," the television show.

Hartford detectives found Moises Coutinho, of 12 Merrill St., in a New London shopping plaza and charged him with shooting and robbing a man in a restaurant on South Whitney Street, Hartford, on Oct. 2.

The hunt for the Brazilianborn Coutinho by police and federal immigration agents led to the arrests of 21 suspected illegal immigrants in raids that caused considerable tension in Parkville's emerging Brazilian enclave. Several people at a meeting in November told Police Chief Daryl K. Roberts that some immigrants were afraid to leave their homes, and businesses that relied on their patronage were teetering toward collapse.

Roberts said Friday that he had already notified leaders in the Brazilian community about the arrest.

"This guy was a headache. He victimized an entire community," Roberts said. "We want to put them at ease and let them know we weren't targeting them."

Coutinho, 23, was wanted by police for allegedly shooting the man in the neck over a $50 debt.

According to police, Elizue Miranda owed Coutinho's girlfriend, Kassila Bispo De Lima, money for a cleaning job she had done. Police said Coutinho watched from across the street as his girlfriend and Miranda met at the Bon Brasil restaurant to discuss payment. At some point, police believe, Coutinho decided that Miranda was hitting on her and crossed the street to confront him.

Police said Coutinho threatened Miranda and forced a gun into his mouth. During a struggle for the gun Miranda was shot in the neck. He was hospitalized, but recovered.

Roberts said Friday that detectives received a tip Thursday from someone who recognized Coutinho from the segment that subsequently aired on "America's Most Wanted." The tipster told police that he was at a shopping plaza in New London, Roberts said. Coutinho was arrested without incident and confessed to the crime, Roberts said.

In addition to attempted murder, Coutinho was charged with first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, second-degree larceny, criminal use of a fire arm and carrying a pistol without a permit.

Police also recovered the gun, a 40-caliber pistol, under a tree trunk by the Connecticut River in Portland after Coutinho told them where to find it, Roberts said.

Coutinho was being held on $750,000 bail, Roberts said.

Contact Steven Goode at sgoode@courant.com