Boy, 7, dies and two in serious condition 'after eating poisoned Easter egg' (2025)

Jordélia Pereira Barbosa, 35, was arrested by the Civil Police in Brazil after a seven-year-old boy died and his mother and sister were left fighting for their lives in hospital

A seven-year-old child has tragically passed away, and two others are in a serious condition in hospital, allegedly after consuming a poisoned Easter egg.

A 35-year-old woman, Jordélia Pereira Barbosa, who is the ex-girlfriend of one of the victim's current partner, has been arrested in the Médio Mearim region of northern Brazil.

Barbosa was taken into custody by police on Thursday, accused of sending the spiked chocolate to a family in Santa Ines, also in northern Brazil. Luís Fernando Rocha Silva sadly died in the early hours of Thursday morning, while his mother, Mirian Lira, 32, and sister, Evelyn Fernanda, 13, remain hospitalised.

The unsuspecting family received the Easter egg via a motorcycle courier on Wednesday night, accompanied by a message from a secret sender that read: "With love, to Mirian Lira. Happy Easter."

Mirian reportedly received a mysterious phone call from an anonymous person later that night, asking if she had received the Easter egg. When Mirian asked who was on the other end, the caller remained silent.

Her sister, Naiza, recounted: "The woman on the phone said 'you'll find out who it is'. And she hung up and didn't say anything.", reports the Mirror.

The seven year old boy was the first to fall ill and was rushed to a local hospital, according to Globo. Luís passed away several hours after being admitted, and his mother only began showing worrying symptoms while at the hospital with her son.

Her hands reportedly began to turn a worrying shade of purple and she experienced difficulty breathing, leading to her urgent admission to the hospital's intensive care unit. Her 13 year old daughter, Evelyn, was soon admitted to the emergency department with similar symptoms.

The mother and daughter are said to be in a critical condition at the Municipal Hospital of Imperatriz.

The police have initiated an investigation into this alarming incident and have sent samples of the potentially lethal egg for analysis at the Imperatriz Criminalistics Institute.

The Maranhão Civil Police revealed that Barbosa had previously been in a relationship with Mirian's ex-husband and father of her two children, Rafael Silva.

This is not the first instance of a festive treat allegedly laced with poison causing fatalities. A Christmas cake believed to be spiked with arsenic reportedly claimed the lives of three family members in Brazil.

Maida Bernice Flores da Silva, 58, Neuza Denize Silva dos Anjos, 65, and Tatiana Silvia dos Santos, 43, all tragically passed away last December after consuming the homemade fruitcake. Their relative, Deise Moura dos Anjos, 42, was arrested in January on suspicion of triple murder and triple attempted murder, accused of poisoning the flour used in the dessert.

Deise took her own life in her prison cell in February while awaiting trial. Local reports suggest that she left a note in her cell proclaiming her innocence and expressing feelings of depression.

In Australia, another family encountered a lunchtime nightmare when three individuals died after consuming a beef Wellington that was reportedly poisoned. Erin Patterson is facing accusations of triple murder following a meal she prepared for her ex-husband's family, although she has refuted any wrongdoing.

Authorities suspect the seemingly innocent Wellington was spiked with toxic mushrooms. The victims tragically passed away days after consuming the dish.