An 11-year-old boy is hospitalized in serious condition at Ricardo Cruz State Hospital, in Nova Iguaçu. Arthur de Melo da Silva was admitted to the unit after showing symptoms of poisoning on the night of June 1st. He ate a piece of cake of unknown origin found in his backpack when he returned from school to his father’s house, in São João de Meriti. The child remains intubated and unconscious.
The parents, who are separated, report being strange about the circumstances. Security camera footage recorded the boy’s arrival at home at around 6:23 pm that Monday. Shortly after consuming the cake, he fell asleep and woke up vomiting.
The Civil Police of the 64th DP (São João de Meriti) conducts the investigations. Witnesses have already been heard and medical, toxicological and expert reports are underway. No hypothesis has been ruled out so far.
Suspicion falls on cake found in backpack
The father, Ademir Mello, said he usually checks his son’s backpack when he returns from school. At the time, the wife found folded clothes and, underneath, the piece of cake. Arthur doesn’t have the habit of folding his own clothes, which caught the family’s attention.
- Clothes folded next to the cake in the backpack
- Cake of unknown origin brought from school or the weekend with mom
- Symptoms started shortly after consumption
- Arrival at home recorded by security cameras
- Father was surprised by the condition of the clothes
The mother, Lidiane da Silva, dropped her son off at school that afternoon. She claims he was fine up until that point. The boy had spent the weekend with her before returning to his father’s residence.
Arthur de Melo da Silva’s health status worries family members
The State Department of Health confirmed that the boy remains in serious condition, intubated and unconscious. The doctors’ initial suspicion points to possible pellet poisoning, but this still depends on laboratory confirmation.
Family members demand speed in the investigation. Ademir Mello asked that all circumstances be investigated, including the path taken by the cake until it reached his son’s backpack. Lidiane da Silva reinforced the call for answers about what happened to the child.
Arthur remains under intensive care at the Nova Iguaçu hospital. The condition did not show significant improvement in the days following hospitalization.
Police await reports to define line of investigation
Investigators from the 64th DP are carrying out efforts to clarify the case. The official note from the Civil Police informs that hearings continue and that no scenario has been ruled out. Analysis of the reports will be decisive in determining whether there was intentional poisoning and which substance was involved.
- Witness hearing in progress
- Request for medical and toxicological reports
- Analysis of security camera images
- Diligence to map the origin of the cake
- Maintenance of all investigative hypotheses
The case gained repercussions in Baixada Fluminense. Family members use social networks to ask for support in demanding a complete investigation.
Details from June 1st are still central to the investigation
Arthur spent the weekend with his mother, Lidiane da Silva. He returned to his father’s house in São João de Meriti and went to school normally. When he returned in the late afternoon, he consumed the cake and soon showed the first symptoms. The stepmother was the one who warned about the worsening of the condition.
The father reported that his son confirmed that there were dirty clothes in the backpack, but the contents found did not match that description. This discrepancy is one of the points that the police must clarify.
Family members ask for transparency in the investigation
Both Ademir Mello and Lidiane da Silva will be formally heard in the coming days. They expressed concern about the delay in getting concrete answers about what caused the boy’s clinical condition. The family reinforces that Arthur was a healthy child before the episode.
The State Department of Health only keeps updates on the health status of family members. So far, there is no forecast for discharge or transfer.
