The 37-year-old Brazilian national has faced identity theft and fraud charges for impersonating a child who needed adoption over a period of 14 months.
According to police, Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira pretended to be a 12-year-old runaway girl under the name Gabriela. She reached out to the church pastor, explaining that she escaped from her abusive family. Members of the church community provided her with money and introduced her to a family that was willing to help her.
She lived with them, took medicines, including Mounjaro. Additionally, the family celebrated her alleged 12th birthday. They tried to complete the process of adoption, but the relative suspected something was wrong with her.
To justify her mature appearance, Amanda stated to the family that her rapid aging occurred because of hormone treatment in childhood and severe abuse by her father.
After checking online, a relative discovered some cases linked to her impersonation. He contacted law enforcement agencies, and as a result, a series of identical cases occurred in at least seven states in Brazil.
Later, Amanda confessed to the police while answering questions. At the moment, she is in Joinville Women’s Prison. According to reports, a judge allowed a psychiatrist to examine her at the attorneys’ recommendation.
Her lawyer said there could be some psychological problems behind these acts, which can lessen her liability for committing the crimes.
