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Brazil Grandmother Arrested After Pesticide Found in Cake That Killed 9-Year-Old

Toxicology identified terbufos in the dessert, prompting an inquiry into whether the poisoning was intentional or accidental.

Overview

  • Police in São Francisco arrested Izabel Cardoso de Andrade, 59, on 19 September on suspicion of poisoning her two granddaughters.
  • Forensic reports found terbufos in both the baked cake and the body of nine-year-old Alana dos Santos Cardoso Marques.
  • The 11-year-old sister ate less of the cake and survived with milder symptoms, while the family cat later died with veterinary findings of liver failure.
  • The incident occurred on 23 July, when the children developed severe vomiting and abdominal pain before Alana died shortly after reaching hospital.
  • Defense lawyers say de Andrade has cooperated with searches and will contest her detention as investigators assess motive and the possibility of an accident; terbufos is a highly toxic pesticide banned in the UK and EU.