SAO PAULO: A U.S. citizen accused of trying to stab his girlfriend and a taxi driver in Brazil's northeastern city of Salvador jumped to his death from a hotel room window on Tuesday while attempting to avoid arrest, according to police in Bahia state.
Police identified him as Zachary Modi Mikaya, aged 30.
According to a LinkedIn page for "Zach Mikaya," he was a software engineer and a 2016 Mechanical Engineering graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MIT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Police said he was accused of other crimes in March and had stayed at the hotel with false documents making it difficult to find him.
"It was his choice, when police arrived and knocked on the door, it was his choice. Sadly, he tried to flee and jumped out the window," said police officer Mariana Ouais.
The stabbings took place on Sunday in an upscale part of Salvador, police said, adding that the American had cut his hair in an attempt to disguise his identity.
Police had obtained an arrest warrant for attempted murder.
"The permits for removal and forensics have been issued and the hotel staff will be interviewed," Ouais said.
Reuters had not received a response for a request to comment from the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia by the time of publication. — REUTERS