A woman, identified as Izabel Cardoso de Andrade, 59, has been taken into custody on suspicion of poisoning her two grandchildren with cake, resulting in the death of one child. The incident took place during the summer when the grandchildren were visiting her home. Reportedly, the woman’s husband also brought home another cake and cheese bread for the children.
Following the consumption of the cake, the nine-year-old girl, Alana dos Santos Cardoso Marques, fell seriously ill, while her 11-year-old sister, who ate less of the cake, experienced milder symptoms. Even the family cat showed symptoms after tasting the treat, with both children experiencing vomiting and severe stomach pain soon after eating the cake on July 23.
Alana, after expelling a white liquid from her nose, was rushed to the hospital by a neighbor but unfortunately passed away due to cardiopulmonary arrest shortly after arrival. The family cat also died after displaying similar symptoms. Investigations at the family home in São Francisco, Brazil, revealed traces of terbufos, a toxic pesticide, in both the cake and Alana’s body.
The suspect was apprehended on September 19, and forensic tests confirmed the presence of terbufos in the cake and the victim’s body. Terbufos is known to affect the central nervous system, causing muscle weakness and, in high doses, fatality. The cat’s post-mortem examination indicated liver failure, suggesting poisoning as the likely cause of death.
The suspect’s lawyer stated that the woman cooperated with the investigation and allowed searches at her residence. Authorities are probing whether the poisoning was deliberate or accidental, and no motive has been determined yet. The investigation remains ongoing.
This incident follows a similar case where a woman allegedly poisoned her in-laws with arsenic-laced cake during the previous Christmas season. In another recent case, an Australian woman was sentenced to life in prison for serving poisonous mushrooms to her estranged husband’s relatives, resulting in three deaths.