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Marlen Ochoa Lopez: Three arrested after murdered teenager 'had baby cut from womb'

The 'mastermind' of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez's death had allegedly wanted to raise another child after her adult son had passed two years prior

Victoria Gagliardo-Silver
New York
Saturday 18 May 2019 06:46 EDT
Marlen Ochoa Lopez: Memorial set up at home where pregnant teenager was murdered in Chicago

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Three people have been charged in the death of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, a 19-year-old who was murdered days before she was due to give birth in Chicago.

Clarisa and Desiree Figueroa have been charged with murder after Ochoa-Lopez’s body was allegedly found in a bin in their backyard. 40-year-old Piotr Bobak, Clarisa Figueroa’s boyfriend, has been charged with concealment of a homicide.

Having sold Ochoa-Lopez used baby clothes in the past, Clarisa Figueroa, 46, allegedly lured the expectant mother back to her home with an offer of free clothes via Facebook.

When Ochoa-Lopez arrived, police believe Ms Figueroa and her 24-year-old daughter Desiree strangled the young woman to death with a cord and cut the baby from her womb, according to prosecutors.

Hours after, first responders received a call from Ms Figueroa, who claimed her newborn child was not breathing. The boy was taken to the hospital, and remains in a grave condition.

Police did not connect the disappearance of Ochoa-Lopez and Ms Figueroa’s ill child until May 7, when friends of Ochoa-Lopez provided police access to her Facebook account.

At that point, authorities saw that Ochoa-Lopez and Ms Figueroa had corresponded the day of the disappearance, and DNA tested the young child.

The DNA test determined that the child was that of Ochoa-Lopez and her husband, Yiovanni Lopez.

A warrant allowed the police to search the Figueroa home, where they found cleaning supplies and evidence of blood in the bathroom and hallway, according to AP News.

“Words cannot express how disgusting and thoroughly disturbing these allegations are,” said police superintendent Eddie Johnson, when announcing the Figueroa’s would be charged with murder.

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Ms Figueroa had allegedly wanted to raise another child after her adult son had passed from natural causes two years prior.

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