A woman has been arrested after a boy died having allegedly eaten a “poisoned Easter egg” delivered to his family.
Luís Fernando, 7, became sick after eating the chocolate and was rushed to hospital in Imperatriz in the state of Maranhão, Brazil on Thursday.
The child was intubated but died within hours of arriving as police investigate claims the eggs were sent by a “jealous” ex-girlfriend of his mother’s new partner.
Right after her son was intubated, his mother Mirian Lira began to show symptoms of poisoning with her hands turning purple and difficulty breathing, according to Brazilian broadcaster G1. The mother and the boy’s 13-year-old sister remain in hospital in a serious condition, police said.
The boy became sick after the family received the gift-wrapped egg from a motorcycle courier, alongside the message: "With love, to Mirian Lira. Happy Easter".
Naiza Lira, an aunt of the victim, told G1: "When the egg arrived, there was no identification of who had sent it, just the note and they didn't say who it was from.
“She [Miriam] only received the call, the voice was of a woman, asking if she had received [the Easter egg]. She said 'yes I did, who is it?'
“And the woman on the phone replied 'You'll find out who it is’ and she hung up.”
It came as Maranhão Civil Police announced they had made an arrest of a 35-year-old woman travelling on an interstate bus leaving Imperatriz to her hometown of Santa Ines.
They seized two wigs, which they believe the suspect used to disguise herself when buying the chocolate in a supermarket.
A spokesman said: “The initial investigations point that jealousy and revenge may have been the motivation for the woman to poison chocolate and send it to her family, given that the suspect is the ex-girlfriend of the current partner of one of the victims.”
“The Maranhão Civil Police analysed images from security cameras of Emperatriz's commercial establishment, where the suspect appears, who was wearing a wig, buying chocolate.
“With suspicion, the civil policemen seized two wigs, chocolate remains, medicines and bus tickets, one of them was bought last Monday (14), two days before the family received the order that was taken by a motor taxi driver.”
Samples of the Easter eggs were sent to forensics for analysis alongside blood samples from the family to identify if any poison was used.
