Cecilia Haddad’s ex-boyfriend has arrived in Rio but whereabouts now unknown
CECILIA Haddad asked Mario Santoro — her former lover and business partner — to move out of her Ryde unit two weeks before she was murdered, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
NSW
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CECILIA Haddad asked her former lover and business partner to move out of her Ryde unit two weeks before she was murdered, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
Ex-boyfriend Mario Marcelo Santoro, 40, was identified as a “person of interest” to NSW homicide police after he flew out of Australia to Brazil on the weekend — days earlier than he had told family.
Ms Haddad’s body was found floating fully clothed in the Lane Cove River at 10.15am on Sunday after friends became suspicious when the 38-year-old mining executive failed to answer her phone or make it to meetings arranged for Saturday.
It is understood Ms Haddad, a Brazilian who moved to Australia in 2007 to work in the mining industry, broke up with Santoro months ago but allowed him to stay in her Ryde apartment.
When friends last heard from her on Saturday morning, Ms Haddad is believed to have expressed concern about some issues in her life.
Police have confirmed Santoro recently arrived in Rio de Janeiro, but his whereabouts are unknown.
“We want to talk to him and have taken steps to make contact with him,’’ a police source told the Telegraph.
“There are also other people, including men who may have been involved with the victim, who we need to talk to as well.’’
Friends have told police Ms Haddad was an outgoing person with an active social life. Investigators will now explore to see if she had other love interests.
Police yesterday received the report of an autopsy on Ms Haddad’s body.
“We are not going into the details of the cause of death, except (to say) that after receiving the autopsy results the investigation is proceeding as a homicide,’’ a senior detective said.
There were no obvious signs of foul play when police pulled the body from the water in Woolwich, leading police initially to believe it may have been an accidental drowning.
But it emerged Ms Haddad’s friends had been trying to reach her since Saturday afternoon and were so worried they called police. She was last seen at a barbecue on Friday night, and last heard from by phone on Saturday morning.
Her distinctive red Fiat was found abandoned on Sunday at West Ryde railway station, about 10km from where her body was discovered.
Police are examining CCTV footage from the station but yesterday had not found video of Ms Haddad or anyone they believe was associated with her.
It is understood Ms Haddad and Mr Santoro met when attending the same university in Brazil.
Her social media profiles show she arrived in Perth in 2007 and worked in the west for BHP before moving to Sydney in 2016.
She and Mr Santoro worked as community support workers at St Leonards disability service provider Hire-up.
Business records list Mr Santoro as managing director of a company called D. Care, registered to Ms Haddad’s address.