Brazilian Teen Girl Dies After Alleged Jealous Rival Sends Poisoned Cupcakes Laced with Arsenic

Ana Neves died Sunday, a day after eating a poisoned cupcake that was delivered to her home in Brazil

A 17-year-old girl in Brazil died and another was left critically ill after allegedly receiving poisoned cupcakes from a jealous teenage rival, according to police in the city of Itapecerica, located approximately 310 miles north of São Paulo.

Authorities say the unnamed 17-year-old suspect confessed to sending cupcakes laced with arsenic to Ana Neves, who died a day after consuming the pastry. The poisoned treat was accompanied by a handwritten love note that read: “A treat for the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.”

Ana Neves took a photo of the love note that accompanied the poisoned cupcake. It read: 'A treat for the most beautiful girl I've ever seen'

Ana Neves reportedly ate the cupcake around 6 p.m. on Saturday and began feeling ill within an hour. She was initially taken to the hospital and released the same evening. However, her condition deteriorated overnight, and she was rushed back to the hospital by her father on Sunday afternoon. She went into cardiac arrest shortly after arriving and died.

The São Paulo Civil Police said the suspect admitted to purchasing the cupcake from a local bakery called Menina Trufa and contaminating it with arsenic she had bought online for just 65 Brazilian reals—approximately USD $11.50. The delivery was made through a courier app for an additional 5 reals, or about 88 cents. The bakery has since issued a statement clarifying that their own couriers were not involved in the delivery.

In a separate incident, the suspect also confessed to sending a poisoned cupcake and love note to another 17-year-old girl on May 15. That victim was hospitalized in critical condition but survived and has since fully recovered.

The São Paulo Civil Police said a 17-year-old girl confessed to poisoning the cake that killed Ana Neves (pictured)

Josielie Franca, owner of Menina Trufa, confirmed that a walk-in customer purchased the cupcake in question, but the delivery was not carried out by their in-house staff. “The product left the store and no one knows where it went,” Franca said in a video posted to the bakery’s Instagram account. “All of our deliveries are made by our own delivery boys, who use our pink bags with our logo. This delivery was not made by our team.”

Ana Neves was a high school junior at João Baptista de Oliveira State School. Her school released a heartfelt statement mourning her loss: “With a huge weight, our classroom says goodbye to a beautiful star. No words will be enough to console, but we hope that love and beautiful memories will comfort, little by little, the hurting hearts. Ana was, and will always be, part of our history. We will carry with us the good times, the lessons learned, and the affection that she left behind.”

The suspect remains in custody as the investigation continues.