Grandmother arrested for allegedly poisoning grandchildren with cake

Police have arrested a 59-year-old grandmother, Izabel Cardoso de Andrade. She is alleged to have poisoned her two grandchildren with a cake, an incident that led to the death of one of the children.

The tragedy occurred on July 23 in São Francisco, eastern Brazil, during the school holidays when the children were visiting their grandmother. Investigators say Cardoso de Andrade prepared a cake that later tested positive for terbufos, a highly toxic pesticide.

Nine-year-old Alana dos Santos Cardoso Marques fell critically ill shortly after eating the cake, while her 11-year-old sister, who ate a smaller portion, developed milder symptoms. The family’s pet cat, which also consumed part of the cake, died shortly afterwards.

Reports indicate that the children began vomiting and complaining of severe stomach pain. Alana is said to have expelled a white liquid from her nose before her grandparents sought help. A neighbour rushed her to a nearby hospital, but she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival from cardiopulmonary arrest.

Forensic examinations confirmed the presence of terbufos in the cake and in Alana’s body. According to medical experts, the pesticide attacks the central nervous system and can cause muscle weakness, seizures, breathing difficulties and, in higher doses, death. The family cat’s death was attributed to poisoning after veterinary analysis showed liver failure consistent with toxic ingestion.

Police arrested Cardoso de Andrade on Friday, September 19. Her lawyer, Raphael Simões de Moraes Neto, said she cooperated fully with investigators and permitted searches of her home.

Meanwhile, the Police in the Central Region have arrested a 35-year-old man for allegedly staging his own robbery and kidnapping in order to extort money from his father.

The suspect, identified as Benjamin Owusu of Gyankama in the Eastern Region, was picked up on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, after investigations revealed that he deliberately inflicted injuries on himself and fabricated a robbery attack near Millennium City, Gomoa Nyanyano.

According to the Ghana Police Service, the case began when Owusu’s father received a distress call at about 3:00 a.m. on the day of the incident.

“The complainant, who is the father of the suspect, received a phone call from his son who claimed he had been attacked and injured by unknown assailants. He further alleged that his captors were demanding a ransom,” the police statement said.

When officers arrived at the supposed crime scene, they found inconsistencies in the suspect’s story. A medical examination at the Millennium City District Hospital confirmed that Owusu’s wounds were self-inflicted. Ballistic tests also revealed no evidence of gunshots, contrary to his claims.

Head of Public Affairs for the Central East Region, DSP Victor Kofi Dosoo, confirmed the arrest.