RETIRED COP QUESTIONED IN RAINBOW MANIAC CASE

Police have identified the suspect in the serial killing of gay men in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the city which boasts the largest gay pride parade in the world.

Jairo Francisco Franco, a retired police sergeant, has been named as the man that police believe is behind the murders of 13 gay men, and has been detained for questioning.

The men were all killed in Paturis Park, on the outskirts of the city, between July 2007 and August 2008. The park is known to be a popular gay cruising spot.

The serial killer has been dubbed the “rainbow maniac” by the Brazilian media.

The authorities say that a witness, who claims to have seen Franco shoot twelve bullets into one of the victims in the park, has come forward. Another witness has said that Franco was often seen in the area.

“We are convinced he is the rainbow maniac we have been looking for,” Police inspector Paulo Fortunato told the Associated Press.

Despite the detention of the suspect, police have reportedly stepped up patrols in the park.