The daughter-in-law of a woman who baked a Christmas cake that left three of her relatives dead has been sensationally arrested by police on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Deise Moura was arrested yesterday by the police in the house she shares with her husband Diego.
Deise’s mother-in-law, Zeli Dos Anjos, prepared the traditional holiday gift that killed her two sisters and niece at a family Christmas party in Torres, near Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, on December 23.
Zeli remains in hospital fighting for his life, while his two sisters, Maida da Silva, 58, and Neuza Dos Anjos, 65, died along with Neuza’s daughter, Tatiana Dos Santos, 43.
Other affected relatives were Zeli’s 10-year-old great-nephew.
Maida’s husband, Jefferson, tried the cake and immediately became ill. Joao, Neuza’s husband, did not eat the candy because he does not like cake.
Just a few days ago, MailOnline revealed that Zeli’s husband Paulo, 68, died in September from food poisoning after eating a banana that had been contaminated.
The dramatic development was shared exclusively with MailOnline by the Torres police chief, who said Deise had been arrested at her home in Nova Santa Rita on Sunday night.
Deise Moura (pictured) was detained by police at the home she shares with her husband.
Zeli dos Anjos (pictured) prepared the traditional ‘Bolo de Natal’ for an afternoon coffee with the family
In the photo: the Christmas cake that the guests consumed on December 23.
Marcus Vinicius Veloso said: ‘The woman was arrested for triple homicide and triple attempted homicide.
“She was initially taken to a Canoas police station, then to the Torres police station and is now in the city’s women’s prison, at this moment we cannot say anything more.”
Last week, police said they are “not aware of any disputes within the family” but are keeping an open mind as they await lab test results due any day.
Tentative reports revealed that arsenic was found in the victims’ blood.
The group of seven people who attended the Christmas party complained that the cake Zeli baked tasted “bitter and spicy.” Within minutes everyone was vomiting and a fleet of ambulances was called to take them to the hospital.
The woman was arrested for triple homicide and triple attempted homicide
She was initially taken to a Canoas police station, then to the Torres police station and is now in the city’s women’s prison.
The mother of one of them had been arrested at her home in Nova Santa Rita late on Sunday.
Matheus Marques da Silva, 10, survived by eating the poisoned cake with Father Leonir Alves in the hospital in Torres, Brazil.
Several family members died after eating the cake.
Neuza Denize Silva dos Anjo, 65, was rushed to hospital in critical condition before dying the next day.
Maida, a retired teacher, was the first to die on Christmas Eve, while her sister Neuza died a few hours later, followed by Tatiana, Neuza’s daughter.
Just a few days ago, a relative exclusively told MailOnline that he thought someone with a “grudge” had been responsible for attacking the family and described the tragedy as “bizarre”.
When contacted by MailOnline to ask her reaction to the arrest, Isabel Moraes, 54, said: ‘The whole family is shocked. We just don’t know what to say, someone so close to us we never imagined.’