Federal authorities announced the arrest of an illegal immigrant who allegedly strangled a woman to death in her Massachusetts home on Tuesday.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Flavio Alcantara Dias, 43, originally from Brazil, was allowed into the U.S. during the tenure of former President Joe Biden, despite having prior arrests for DUI and aggravated assault.
“Alcantara Dias entered the United States unlawfully in April 2019. In October 2024, an immigration judge ruled in favor of his request to end immigration hearings based on a procedural issue, effectively closing his immigration case despite his criminal record and illegal status. Following this, he was released into the community,” stated the Department of Homeland Security.
The statement further noted, “The most effective method for arresting and deporting criminal illegal aliens is through lodging detainers. Seven of the top ten safest cities in the United States work cooperatively with ICE. We are calling on the Framingham Police Department to help facilitate a controlled transfer of this criminal illegal alien, aiming to ensure he is removed from our communities permanently.”
DHS also expressed, “Our message is straightforward: if you enter our country illegally and violate our laws, we will locate you, apprehend you, and deport you.”
Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Brandt detailed a 911 call made by Dias after an incident involving 33-year-old Brianna Connolly last week.
“He very clearly states, ‘Can I have police? A homicide just happened here right now,’” Brandt recounted in court, as reported by Boston 25 News.
“He then mentions, ‘I ended up killing a woman by mistake.’ He emphasized that he went crazy and later suffocated her, stating he strangled her,” Brandt continued, adding that Dias communicated in Portuguese.
Brandt also indicated that during the call, Dias mentioned that he and Connolly had been using drugs in her home and that a disagreement arose when he wanted to engage in sexual activity, but she refused.
Dias claimed he had fallen asleep and awoke to find Connolly unresponsive. Brandt noted that responding officers observed “blood marks on her forehead and on the back of her head,” as well as a “fabric cord around her neck.”
