A Brazilian woman is being accused of sending poisoned Easter eggs to her ex-partner's new family, resulting in the death of a child and two others being in critical condition.
The woman in question was identified as Jordelia Pereira Barbosa, who allegedly bought the poisoned holiday treats. She apparently put poison in them and then had them delivered via courier to her former partner's new girlfriend, Mirian Lira, and her family.
Poisoned Easter Eggs
The delivery was also accompanied by a note that directly addressed Lira, who later shared the chocolates with her kids. The latter's son, Luis Silva, suddenly fell ill after eating the treats and was quickly rushed to the hospital for treatment.
On Thursday, medical professionals pronounced the young boy dead but his cause of death has not yet been confirmed. On the other hand, Lira and her 13-year-old daughter, Evelyn Fernanda, were still in the hospital as of Saturday and are in critical condition, as per the New York Daily News.
Law enforcement authorities said that they now have CCTV footage of Barbosa buying the chocolate eggs, which will be brought into forensic testing to confirm the presence of poison. The woman was seen wearing a dark wig while at the store and told staff she wanted to host a chocolate tasting for staff.
When questioned, Barbosa struggled to answer basic questions, such as the company that she works for, which caused the manager of the store to turn her away. Police said that she then tried to give out chocolates to people in the parking lot.
Arrest of the Suspect
The suspect was believed to be living around 200 miles away in Santa Ines and was said to be staying in a hotel in Imperatriz at the time of the incident. Police later arrested the woman on an intercity bus as she was on her way back to Santa Ines, The Standard reported.
Barbosa's former partner informed investigators that he believes the woman could have been involved in the incident with his new partner and her family. Since then, officials have found receipts for the chocolate eggs, two wigs, scissors, cards, a saw knife, and suspected drugs in her possession.
During the suspect's arrest, she was seen with blonde hair and was found with various instruments, such as a funnel and spoons. These were items that were believed to have been used in the suspected poisoning of the chocolate treats, as per People.
