# Rio Archaeologist Shot in Leblon Robbery

> Rio archaeologist Tania Andrade Lima, 81, shot during Leblon robbery; suspects fled on motorcycle.
- Title: Rio Archaeologist Shot in Leblon Robbery · The Rio Times
- Summary: Rio archaeologist Tania Andrade Lima, 81, shot during Leblon robbery; suspects fled on motorcycle. Rio archaeologist Tania Andrade Lima survived a street…
- Keywords: tania andrade lima, leblon, valongo wharf, united states, brazil, military police, rio de janeiro, unesco world heritage site, armed robbery, suspects, museu nacional, federal university of rio de janeiro
- Source: The Rio Times — https://riotimesonline.com/rio-archaeologist-tania-andrade-lima-shot-leblon-robbery-2026
- Author: Arkady Petrov
- Published: 2026-10-16T16:59:19+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: tania andrade lima, leblon, valongo wharf, united states, brazil, military police, rio de janeiro, unesco world heritage site, armed robbery, suspects, museu nacional, federal university of rio de janeiro
## Who was shot
Tania Andrade Lima, 81, a retired archaeologist at Rio's Museu Nacional, was shot during a street robbery in Leblon on Thursday, 15 October.
## Where and when
The attack occurred on Rua General Venancio Flores in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro's South Zone, on Thursday afternoon, 15 October.
## Why it matters
Valongo Wharf, a UNESCO World Heritage site where 900,000 enslaved Africans arrived in South America, was uncovered by Lima in 2011.
## What happened
Security footage shows a man pulling at her bag as she lay on the sidewalk and shooting her during the robbery.
## Injuries and condition
Accounts differ: Metrópoles report a gunshot to the hand, while SBT News and Estadão say three shots hit her.
## Suspects fled
Two suspects fled on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice after the attack, leaving stolen items behind.
## Police search
Military police spotted the suspects in the Rebouças Tunnel but they fled on foot, abandoning a stolen motorcycle and two phones.
## Her background
Lima led the 2011 excavation that uncovered Valongo Wharf, a site buried since 1843, and received the Hypatia Award in 2023.
## Why Valongo matters
UNESCO inscribed Valongo Wharf as a World Heritage site in 2017, noting it was the most significant landing point for enslaved Africans in the Americas.
## US travel advice
The US State Department rates Brazil Level 2, advising visitors to hand over belongings without resisting if confronted.
## What comes next
Civil Police will analyze the motorcycle, phones, and security footage; no arrests or court dates have been announced.
## What is known
Lima survived the attack, but no outlet names the gunman or his accomplice, and the exact time of the shooting is unknown.
## Key takeaway

Rio archaeologist Tania Andrade Lima survived a street robbery in Leblon where she was shot, with two suspects fleeing on a motorcycle.