Desiree Figueroa: Woman pleads guilty to helping mother kill pregnant teen and ripping baby from her womb
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES: A 29-year-old woman implicated in aiding her mother in the homicide of a pregnant woman and forcibly removing the victim's baby, has admitted her complicity in the crime.
Desiree Figueroa entered a plea deal, agreeing to go to prison for the murder.
In exchange, Desiree is anticipated to provide testimony about her involvement in assisting her mother, Clarisa Figueroa in strangling the pregnant victim Marlen Ochoa-Lopez and extracting the baby from the body as per Chicago Sun Times.
Desiree Figueroa pleads guilty to murdering Marlen Ochoa-Lopez
The offspring of Clarisa Figueroa charged with strangling a pregnant teenager and extracting her unborn child has consented to testify against her mother.
Desiree Figueroa, in a plea agreement that mandates a 30-year prison term, entered a guilty plea on Monday, January 8, for the 2019 murder of 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Lopez.
As part of the agreement with prosecutors, Desiree is obliged to testify at her mother's trial, scheduled for January 26. Clarisa Figueroa has a status hearing in her case on Tuesday.
How did Marlen Ochoa-Lopez die?
The Figueroas had been scheming the murder for weeks before enticing Ochoa-Lopez to their residence in the 4100 block of West 77th Place, as per prosecutors.
Clarisa Figueroa had solicited her daughter's assistance in "killing a pregnant woman and taking her baby," a request Desiree had disclosed to her boyfriend before April 2019.
On April 1, 2019, Clarisa invited Ochoa-Lopez to their home in the presence of Desiree's boyfriend.
Throughout the visit, the Figueroas displayed peculiar behavior, causing the boyfriend to warn Desiree that he would contact the police if there were any plans to harm Ochoa-Lopez, prosecutors stated.
Ochoa-Lopez left unharmed, and the Figueroas claimed the murder plot was an April Fool’s joke, prosecutors alleged.
Three weeks later, Ochoa-Lopez returned. While perusing a photo album of Clarisa Figueroa’s deceased son, Clarisa allegedly used a length of cable to strangle Ochoa-Lopez.
When the teen managed to free her hands from the cable, Clarisa reportedly shouted to her daughter, “You’re not doing your f*****g job" as per Law&Crime.
Desiree then removed Ochoa-Lopez’s fingers from the cable, and after a few minutes, the struggle ceased.
Allegedly, Clarisa Figueroa then cut open Ochoa-Lopez’s abdomen, removed the baby, placed the teen’s body in a plastic bag, disposed of it in a trash can at the side of the house, and subsequently called 911, claiming to have given birth.
The baby was declared not breathing by Clarisa to 911 operators, was transported to Christ Hospital, and was put on life support. A GoFundMe page sought $9,000 for the expected funeral expenses, stating the baby's imminent demise.
Desiree Figueroa took Ochoa-Lopez’s phone and car, visited her sister’s house, and parked the car near her residence.
When the police arrived at Clarisa Figueroa’s house, her boyfriend, Piotr Bobak, was rinsing a bleach-soaked rug. He faced charges of concealing the murder and pleaded guilty, receiving a four-year prison sentence.
The baby was eventually confirmed through DNA as Ochoa-Lopez’s, passing away after 2 months in the hospital. He was named after his father, Yovani Lopez.
