A Brazilian grocery manager was brutally attacked Saturday by the husband of a disgruntled employee, who grabbed a shovel from a display area and smacked the 40-year-old victim in the head.
The brutal scene was captured on surveillance video at the Machado Supermarket in the town of Sinope. Danielson Paiva, 29, faces charges of attempted murder for the ruthless assault prompted, police say, by complaints from his wife about her boss, Claudio dos Santos.
Paiva is seen lingering in the store, waiting for his opportunity to attack, shovel in hand.
Onlookers watched in horror as he strode towards dos Santos, winding his arms and plunking him on the side of his head. Dos Santos was talking on his cellphone at the time, which he said may have saved his life.
“He [Paiva] really wanted to kill me, and what saved me was my cellphone, which shattered inside my ear, and I had to get stitches,” said dos Santos, who manages the supermarket.
According to the Mato Gross Military Police, Paiva confronted dos Santos after his wife complained he had “morally harassed her,” dos Santos told the Brazilian news outlet G1. He said he had never communicated directly with Pavia’s wife before the attack.
“I don’t have contact with the employees, but I always hold the leaders accountable,” dos Santos explained.
Paiva was tackled to the ground and subsequently restrained by store employees while a dazed dos Santos was helped to his feet by bystanders after several seconds on the ground.
“I never expected something like this to happen,” said dos Santos, who was hospitalized for one night before being discharged. He sustained injuries to his head and ear, along with some hearing loss, according to TMZ.
Saiva was placed on pretrial detention at a hearing Sunday, during which the judge said it was necessary to keep Paiva incarcerated.
Machado Supermarket released a statement saying they have opened an independent investigation into the attack.
“We reinforce our commitment to the respect, safety and well-being of our employees and customers, values that have always guided our actions,” the statement read.
