Brazilian Woman Arrested After Christmas Cake Poisoning Leaves 3 Dead, 3 Hospitalized

Authorities arrest a woman in Brazil after a Christmas cake poisoning incident resulted in three deaths and left three others hospitalized. IMAGE : FACEBOOK

Woman Arrested After Christmas Cake Poisoning Leaves Three Dead and Three Hospitalized

Authorities in Brazil have arrested a woman in connection with a Christmas cake poisoning incident that killed three people and left three others hospitalized. The suspect, identified only as "Deise," was taken into custody on Sunday, January 5, on charges of triple homicide and triple attempted homicide, according to reports from local outlets O Globo and GZH.

Deise is the daughter-in-law of Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos, 61, who is believed to have prepared the homemade Brazilian Christmas cake, known as Bolo de Natal, on December 23. The cake allegedly caused the deaths of Tatiana Denize Silva dos Anjos, 43; Maida Berenice Flores da Silva, 58; and Neuza Denize Silva dos Anjos, 65.

Ongoing Investigation and Arrest Details Deise is currently being held at the Torres State Women’s Prison after being taken to the Torres Police Station, located approximately 125 miles northeast of Porto Alegre. She is set to appear in court on Monday, January 6.

As previously reported, Zeli, who prepared the cake with her sister, also fell ill after consuming it. A 10-year-old boy and one unidentified person were hospitalized but survived the poisoning. The boy was discharged from the hospital on Friday, January 3, while Zeli remains in the ICU in stable condition, according to O Globo.

Arsenic Poisoning Suspected Investigators are exploring whether arsenic was present in the victims' blood. Marcos Vinícius Veloso, a police officer involved in the case, noted that the 10-year-old boy who ate the cake complained about its taste. Zeli reportedly tried to prevent others from eating it after his reaction. "She kind of put her hand on top of the cake and said, ‘Now no one will eat it anymore,’” Veloso stated, as per translated reports.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the dangers of arsenic, which can occur naturally in groundwater but is highly toxic in its inorganic form.

Reopening of a Previous Case The deaths prompted police to revisit the circumstances surrounding the September death of Zeli's husband, Paolo Luiz. His death from food poisoning was originally deemed natural and was not investigated further. "We have opened a police investigation and will exhume this man’s body to determine whether poisoning was involved," Veloso confirmed.

The Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul has not commented further on the case.