Infant ripped out of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez during 'womb-raider' murder dies weeks after opening his eyes for the first time
Warning: Distressing content
An infant who was in critical condition after he was ripped out of his mother during what has been dubbed the 'womb-raider' killing has died.
According to Fox32, the infant, who was named Yovani Jadiel Lopez, died at 5 am on Friday, June 14, at the Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he had been hospitalized and was on life support since his birth in April.
Julie Contreras, a spokeswoman for the family, confirmed Yovani's death and said the child was still on life support when his condition suddenly deteriorated.
"It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of baby Yovani Jadiel Lopez. He passed away this Friday, June 14, 2019, from his severe brain injury," a statement from the family read.
Contreras said the family was waiting for a third opinion from medical professionals on his condition at the time of his death and that she was unsure if his father, Yovani Lopez, was with the infant at the time of his death.
The news comes at a time when the family had begun hoping for a complete and miraculous recovery.
MEAWW previously reported that Yovani had opened his eyes for the first time a few weeks ago and that he had begun breathing on his own without the help of machines intermittently.
Speaking at the time, Frank Avila, an attorney for Yovani, had said, "It's still a long way to go for the baby, but the baby is fighting and surviving," adding, that the infant was "handsome" and had a head full of hair and that he looked just like his father.
46-year-old Clarisa Figueroa, her daughter, 24-year-old Desiree Figueroa, and her boyfriend, 40-year-old Piotr Bobak, have been arrested in the connection to the murder of Yovani's mother, 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Lopez.
Police said Figueroa killed an unsuspecting Ochoa-Lopez after luring the 19-year-old to her home on April 23 under the pretext of free clothes.
They said the 46-year-old hatched the plan after responding to a social media post made by the nine-month-pregnant mother asking for a double stroller.
When Ochoa-Lopez reached the home that evening, Figueroa and her daughter killed the 19-year-old with a coaxial cable after luring her to the basement of their apartment. Police say she went to the residence because she was familiar with the mother-daughter pair.
Her body was only found close to a month later, and the Figueroas were subsequently arrested. Bobak, who helped conceal the death, was arrested as well.
The Figueroas were subsequently charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery of a child causing permanent disability while Bobak was charged with felony counts of concealing a death and concealing a homicide.
They are being held without bond and are due back in court next month.
