Disturbing CCTV Captures Moments Before 26-Year-Old's Fatal Fall at Brazil Hotel as Partner Reportedly Watches in Horror

A 26-year-old mother of two died after falling from the seventh floor of a Brazilian hotel when an aluminium window structure gave way, police said. CCTV footage captured the moments leading up to Renata Rebeca Negrão Saldanha dos Santos's fall at the Rio Poty Hotel in São Luís, Maranhão.

'My daughter went out to have fun, and I am receiving her in a coffin,' her mother told TV Liberal. Police are treating the death as accidental, but forensic examinations have not established why the structure detached.

Mother Disputes Account of Daughter's Fall

Renata's mother disputed the investigator's description of her daughter sitting on a window ledge before falling. 'My daughter didn't even sit down; she leaned against it and fell,' she said, adding that the same thing could have happened to anyone.

Renata lived in Ananindeua, Pará, and left behind two children, aged four and seven. Her mother said caring for them was now her priority as relatives gathered for the wake on Wednesday, 4 November.

Renata worked as an app-based driver and sold sushi while studying human resources management. Her mother said she planned to study English to improve her chances of finding work at an airport.

CCTV Shows Sequence Before Fatal Fall

Renata died in the early hours of Tuesday, 3 November, after walking along a hotel corridor with her boyfriend. Accounts of the CCTV footage describe her approaching the window before the structure gave way.

Investigator George Marques said she sat on a ledge and supported her back against an aluminium section that detached. He said her boyfriend was not close to her when she fell and that the footage showed no aggression or attempt to push her.

Maranhão's Public Security Secretariat said specialists were examining the window structure to identify possible causes of its detachment. The examination was ongoing, with no technical conclusions establishing the cause or identifying irregularities.

Fire Department Requests Technical Assessment

An inspection on Thursday, 5 November, found that the hotel's Certificate of Approval had expired, fire department Captain Laécio said. The document concerns statutory fire and panic safety requirements. Its expiry does not establish that the window was unsafe or caused Renata's death.

Laécio said the building predated Maranhão's Law No. 11,390 and was subject to provisions for adapting existing buildings to safety standards. Officials requested a professional assessment of the glass structure's height and the need for emergency protective barriers.

Boyfriend Released as Police Enquiries Continue

Renata's boyfriend gave a statement and was released, with police saying he was not considered a suspect at that stage. Marques said hotel employees still needed to be interviewed and that the boyfriend could be questioned again.

The couple had arrived from Pará on 28 October for a poker tournament. They were due to return on 3 November, the day Renata died.

Renata's mother separately alleged that the hotel initially promised to cover all expenses but later limited its assistance to the coffin and transport of the body. She said relatives were left with the remaining funeral and burial costs.

Rio Poty Hotel expressed sorrow, said it was cooperating with investigators and reaffirmed its commitment to guest safety. Its published statement did not specifically address the financial-assistance allegation.