A resident of São José do Rio Preto, Brazil, has started walking his neighborhood streets at night wearing a full suit of medieval armor. The story gained traction when reported by Dexterto, which noted that the man, who calls himself The Templar, began these patrols after his home was broken into three times in six months.
The man claims he bought the suit of armor two years ago for a Halloween party, but he decided to put it to use after the repeated burglaries. He explained that his house was targeted while he was away at work, noting that the area is often empty during the day. One of the items taken was a television that he has not finished paying off yet.
He now patrols the neighborhoods of José Bernardes Coelho, Edson Baffi, and Campo Belo, mainly during late-night hours and on weekends. While he has completed security guard training, he has never worked in that field professionally.
The Templar insists he is not trying to replace the police
He stated that he is not a rebel without a cause and that he does not want to be a security force or replace the police. He said he is fighting for his own cause because the number of thefts had become unbearable.
The Templar hopes his presence acts as a deterrent to potential thieves, a goal shared by Amazon’s new drone that patrols homes. He also wants it to encourage residents to report suspicious activity to the police. In a video shared by G1, he said, “I am a symbol of hope, and I represent people who are tired of losing, even though we are the majority of good people.”
He also expressed a desire to see other people begin documenting patrols in their own neighborhoods. He claims that most people living in the area support his approach, and he says he has noticed an increase in police patrols nearby.
Police statistics show that reported thefts in São José do Rio Preto decreased by nearly 11% during the first nine months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
Published: Nov 12, 2026 04:45 pm