Mother and Daughter Pass Away After Eating Birthday Cake Brought by Relative Who Owed Them

Mother and Daughter Pass Away After Eating Birthday Cake Brought by Relative Who Owed Them

  • A family has been struck with tragedy in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo after a mother and daughter passed away under sad circumstances
  • 52-year-old Ana Maria de Jesus and her 21-year-old daughter, Larissa de Jesus Castilho, passed on after eating a suspected poisoned birthday cake
  • Reports indicate that a relative who owed the victims some money delivered the allegedly poisoned birthday cake

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Authorities in Brazil are investigating the passing away of a mother and daughter after they consumed a cake allegedly laced with pesticides.

The victims, Ana Maria de Jesus, 52, and her daughter, Larissa de Jesus Castilho, 21, were rushed to the hospital after eating slices of the cake in July this year. Both women passed on shortly after falling ill in their Ipiranga home in São Paulo.

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Ana Maria de Jesus, Larissa de Jesus Castilho, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Ipiranga, Murder, Birthday Cakes
Brazilian mother Ana Maria de Jesus and her daughter, Larissa de Jesus Castilho, die after eating an allegedly poisoned birthday cake. Photo source: @mirroruk
Source: Twitter

Police are reportedly demanding the arrest of Leonardo, the husband of Ana Maria's niece Patricia, who allegedly delivered the confectionery to the victims. However, a judge has refused the arrest request for reasons that remain unclear.

According to Mirror UK, toxicology tests conducted after the deaths uncovered the presence of pesticides in both victims' bodies, prompting an investigation.

Investigators reportedly examined cell phones belonging to Patricia and Leonardo, uncovering a series of concerning online searches. These allegedly included queries such as "heart attack causes convulsions" and "intoxication from cleaning product."

Suspect owed Ana Maria de Jesus money

The Daily Mail also reported that Ana Maria regularly lent money to her niece and her partner. Investigators believe an outstanding debt may be linked to the incident, providing a potential motive for the alleged poisoning.

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Leonardo was reportedly captured on surveillance footage arriving on his motorbike to deliver a slice of cake to Ana Maria, who had been unwell. She consumed the cake the same afternoon.

Shortly after eating, Ana Maria called her daughter, reporting severe symptoms, saying she felt ill and could not stand. She was subsequently rushed to São Paulo's Heliopolis Hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator.

Tragically, Larissa ate another portion of the cake after leaving her mother at the hospital and returning home. Both women succumbed to the suspected poisoning by the end of July.

São Paulo's Secretariat of Public Security confirmed that a police homicide unit is leading the investigation.

In a statement, the Secretariat said:

"On October 8, search and seizure warrants were executed, resulting in the seizure of cell phones, which were sent for data extraction. Investigators are still analysing the information obtained."

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The case has baffled the Ipiranga community and raised questions about the judge's decision to deny the arrest warrant despite the evidence compiled by investigators.

Authorities have not disclosed additional details about the ongoing investigation or whether other suspects may be involved.

Ana Maria de Jesus, Larissa de Jesus Castilho, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Ipiranga, Murder, Birthday Cakes
Anna Maria de Jesus and her daughter, Larissa de Jesus Castilho lose their lives in a suspected poisoning incident. Photo source: @folhape.br
Source: Instagram

TikTok star Aunty Bee passes away

YEN.com.gh also reported that Ghanaian TikTok personality Aunty Bee had reportedly passed away over the weekend.

Her associate on social media announced the demise on October 5, 2025.

Her passing came just hours after TikToker Osanju was laid to rest at Atwima Koforidua, after his death on September 1.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Jeffrey Owusu-Mensah avatar

Jeffrey Owusu-Mensah (HOD Entertainment) Jeffrey is the Head of the Entertainment Desk and a graduate of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He started as a reporter with Ghana News Agency (GNA). He joined Primnewsghana.com in 2016 as an editor. He moved to YEN.com.gh in 2017 as an editor and has risen to his current position. You can contact him via e-mail: j.owusu-mensah@yen.com.gh