Below Deck’s João Franco, Brother Arrested in Turkey After Teen Dies
João Franco, a former Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Down Under star, and his brother Karlos were arrested in Bodrum, Turkey, after a fight outside a clothing store left a 17-year-old staff member dead. CCTV footage shows the brawl. Neither brother has commented publicly.
João Franco, a former star of Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean" and "Below Deck Down Under," and his brother Karlos have been arrested in Turkey after a fight outside a clothing store left a 17-year-old dead, according to local reports. Joao from Below Deck and his brother are in custody in the Bodrum district of Muğla.
The brothers were born in Zimbabwe and moved to Europe to pursue yachting careers. João is 36.
Local reports said the pair got into a verbal dispute with employees of the clothing store. They said the brothers were using "profanity," which allegedly escalated the argument into a physical fight just outside the shop.
What the CCTV footage shows
Security camera footage of the incident appears to show Karlos, in a dark T-shirt, shorts and a baseball cap, throwing the first punch. João, wearing a white-striped collared shirt, shorts and a baseball cap, then steps in and pulls his brother away from the employee.
The employee appears to lunge back and swing his fist. Several other employees then come out of the shop.
A scuffle follows. The men punch and kick each other, and one man lifts a stool and tries to throw it at the brothers.
João seems to try to calm things down at several points. The fighting continues, and he appears to swing his fist. One man then falls to the ground and lies motionless until the fight breaks up less than a minute later.
Teenager's injuries
Local reports identified the man who fell as a 17-year-old store employee. They said he hit his head on steps as he fell.
One local outlet reported that he suffered a severe head injury and cardiac arrest. Emergency medical responders revived him, and he was taken to Muğla Training and Research Hospital in critical condition. Another local outlet later reported that he died of his injuries in hospital.
Custody and reaction
João and Karlos were taken to Bodrum Courthouse and are now in prison. One source said the pair are "awaiting the next steps."
Representatives for the municipal police in Bodrum, the local prison and the courthouse did not respond to requests for comment. Representatives for Bravo declined to comment.
No charges or court rulings have been reported. Neither brother has publicly commented on the allegations.
