A Brazilian woman stays on the 7th floor of a São Luís Hotel with her boyfriend. Then she leans on a window frame and it suddenly gives way.
A couple from the Brazilian state of Pará traveled to São Luís in late October for a poker championship. Renata Rebeca Negrão Saldanha dos Santos, 26, died after falling from a seventh-floor window at the Rio Poty Hotel early Tuesday, according to g1. Authorities are investigating, including a technical analysis of the window frame that appears to have given way.
CCTV footage captured the pair walking through a Rio Poty Hotel hallway while appearing unsteady. Police chief George Marques said the couple had been drinking during a night out and appeared drunk. The clip has spread widely online, recalling the backlash over TMZ’s Liam Payne report, which showed part of the singer’s body after his 2024 hotel fall.
The video appears to show Leonardo Augusto Pinto França bump into the top section of the window, causing it to open briefly before he closed it. Shortly after this, Saldanha dos Santos sat on the ledge and leaned back against an aluminum panel below. The panel gave way, and she fell out of the building.
Police say the footage shows nobody pushed her
The footage appears to show Pinto França standing frozen for about 10 seconds while watching the fall. He then crouched down and leaned his head out of the window to look for her. A hotel employee approached him shortly after, and he explained the situation.
She reportedly landed on a canopy above the Rio Poty Hotel entrance and received first aid, but died of her injuries. Marques said the images show no aggression or push, adding that Pinto França was not even near her when the panel gave way. However, the investigation remains open, as forensic tests on the window are still pending.
Police took Pinto França to a station for questioning after the incident. Investigators do not currently consider him a suspect. During his interview, he stated that the couple started dating in July. He also told police that he could not remember the accident, as he had been drinking throughout the night.
The Rio Poty Hotel released a statement expressing condolences to the family of the deceased and said it is cooperating with authorities. However, the hotel declined to comment further when asked about its windows. Saldanha dos Santos leaves behind two young children, and her mother, Betty Negrão, said she hopes for justice.
Brazilian law could leave the hotel liable even if nobody proves fault
Brazil regulates building windows through the technical standard ABNT NBR 10821, which includes a structural load test for frames. The federal PBQP-H quality program also publishes lists of aluminum window brands that fail its requirements. Forensic experts have not said whether the Rio Poty Hotel window met that standard.
Article 14 of Brazil’s Consumer Defense Code holds service providers liable for damage caused by defective services, regardless of fault. A provider avoids liability only by proving no defect existed or that the consumer or a third party was solely to blame. Any claim against the hotel would likely hinge on forensic findings, as the cause remains unknown.
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