A mother and daughter have died after eating a birthday cake that police suspect was deliberately poisoned. Ana Maria de Jesus, 52, and Larissa de Jesus Castilho, 21, were taken to hospital in São Paulo after consuming slices of the cake delivered by a family member. Tests later revealed the presence of pesticides in their bodies.
Police have requested the arrest of a woman named Patricia and her partner Leonardo, whose phones were seized. Searches on their devices included terms such as 'heart attack causes convulsions' and 'Intoxication from cleaning product'. A judge refused the arrest request for reasons that have not yet been disclosed, though the investigation continues.
Detectives believe that a debt may be linked to the suspected poisoning. Ana Maria regularly lent money to her niece and her niece's partner. Leonardo was seen on a motorbike the day after the family birthday, delivering a slice of cake to Ana Maria, who ate it that afternoon. She soon felt ill and was rushed to hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator. Her daughter Larissa and a 16-year-old cousin also ate cake; Larissa died while the cousin survived.
São Paulo's Secretariat of Public Security confirmed that search and seizure warrants were executed on October 8, with mobile phones taken for data extraction. The results are still being analysed. The case has drawn attention amid a series of poisoning incidents in Brazil, including a Christmas cake poisoning last year that killed three people.
