Three women died after consuming a homemade cake during a family gathering in Brazil – prompting police to probe the mysterious death of the baker’s late husband who perished from food poisoning months prior.
Tatiana Denize Silva dos Anjos, 43, and Maida Berenice Flores da Silva, 58, each died from cardiac arrest after eating Bolo de Natal – a Brazilian Christmas cake – during a holiday celebration in Torres on Monday, according to a local outlet.
Neuza Denize Silva dos Anjos, 65, was reported dead on Christmas Eve, with her cause of death ruled a “shock after poisoning,” according to the Hospital Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes de Torres.
Civil Police are investigating the peculiar deaths after arsenic was found in blood tests conducted on two of the surviving family members and one who died, Globo reported.
Three additional family members remain hospitalized, including a 10-year-old boy and Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos, 61, who made the tainted dessert with her sister and hosted the devastating occasion.
The disturbing discovery prompted officials to launch an investigation into the death of Zeli’s late husband, who died in September from food poisoning. Police are requesting his body be exhumed, the outlet reported.
Several food products from Zeli’s home were also expired, police said, including a medicine bottle that contained a bizarre white liquid.
“There were expired products in the residence,” police told the outlet.
“A bottle was found, a medicine, which should have had capsules inside it and there were no capsules – there was a white liquid and this white liquid will also be examined.”
Zeli, who ate two slices of the toxic cake, was the first person rushed to the hospital, police said.
Officials noted that there was no evidence of inheritance disputes or squabbles between the family members prior to the fatal gathering.
A friend of one of the deceased family members said the group gathered annually to ring in the holidays with the native cake, Globo reported.
“It was a traditional family cake, a king cake, which they always, always, always, made,” the friend said.