A mother and her daughter have been living in a McDonald’s in Brazil for three months with suitcases full of belongings after being evicted from their home.
The couple, identified by local media as Susane Paula Muratoni Geremia, 64, and Bruna Muratori Geremia, 31, remain in the fast food establishment until they are told to leave, when it closes at 5 in the morning.
They then wait outside the restaurant, which is in the exclusive Leblon neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, and sleep on the street until it reopens at 10 in the morning.
They both have cell phones and pay for each meal, and say they would rather stay at the waterfront burger joint than accept the offer of a spot in a homeless shelter.
The women claim they receive financial support from Bruna’s father, who according to local media lives in the United Kingdom, and both deny failing to pay their debts.
The mother and daughter have been identified by local media as Susane Paula Muratoni Geremia, 64, and Bruna Muratori Geremia, 31.
The women claim they receive financial support from Bruna’s father, who, according to local media, lives in the United Kingdom.
They said CBN who are looking for apartments to rent in the area and plan to stay at the McDonald’s branch until they find a home that fits their budget.
The daughter reportedly said they were happy to stay at McDonald’s until that happens.
“There is peace here and I feel safe and welcome,” she said. “The staff treated us very well.”
Supporters in the area say all offers of help to the couple have been rejected, although CBN reports that they shower at the homes of nearby residents.
Despite their difficult living situation, the couple is reported to always be clean, well dressed, and wear makeup every day.
Both have mobile phones, which are always fully charged, and wait with at least five large suitcases reportedly containing tennis rackets, clothing and books, as well as shoes and other accessories.
The couple waits outside the restaurant when it closes at 5 a.m., sleeping on the street until it reopens at 10 a.m.
Despite their difficult living situation, the couple is said to always be clean, well dressed, and wear makeup every day.
The 31-year-old is said to be fluent in English and Spanish and speaks some French, and previously worked as a language teacher, among other jobs.
It is reported that jobs typically only lasted a few months at a time, and people who have worked with her have described her as “closed” and “mysterious.”
Both women are said to have been born in Rio Grande do Sul, but have lived in Rio de Janeiro for eight years.
The women told local media that they are currently looking for an apartment and do not understand the curiosity they have aroused.
The two also argued that in Europe and the United States their situation is common.
The women stay at the fast food restaurant all day with at least five large suitcases.
Mom Susane said: “It all seems ridiculous to me, I can’t understand how this snowball effect has occurred.”
Bruna added: ‘If it were a person with darker skin, with few clothes, with few suitcases, it would not have attracted attention.
‘I think what’s fascinating is that we look like the people who read about us and see that, actually, this could be them too.
‘I didn’t want to be put in the spotlight, I didn’t want fame or visibility for being homeless, no one wants to live on the streets and I miss sleeping in a bed.
“But this problem is for me and my mother, and it is a system that conspires against you when you don’t have a lot of money in the real estate market.”
