Hospital where the baby was brought after being torn from the belly of the mother of Chicago under investigation

May 21, 2019, 22:06 UTC

By Doha Madani

Illinois officials have opened an investigation into the hospital where a baby was brought by an alleged murderer after allegedly cutting the child out of his mother's womb, claiming that the newborn was his.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office is investigating whether the Advocate Christ Medical Center has violated the Abuse and Neglect of Children Act by not immediately reporting the woman covered in blood but showing no signs of delivery, reported Monday NBC Chicago.

The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday at NBC Chicago that it had also opened an investigation into the hospital following the murder of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, 19, last month.

A spokeswoman for the ministry would not give details about the case, but said the investigation would include a mandatory unannounced visit to the investigators' hospital.

46-year-old Clarisa Figueroa and her 24-year-old daughter Désirée were charged last week with strangling Ochoa-Lopez, who was nine months pregnant at the time, and was sentenced to death. then cut the baby off his body.

The authorities suspect Clarisa Figueroa of having the intention of raising the baby of Ochoa-Lopez after the death of her 20-year-old son, from natural causes.

According to court documents, Clarisa Figueroa then called an ambulance, claiming that she had given birth at home and that the baby was not breathing. When the Chicago Fire Department responded, Clarisa was holding the baby with the placenta and umbilical cord attached.

They were taken to the Christ Counsel Medical Center, where Clarisa was examined and the baby was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit, according to the court documents. Clarisa showed no signs of delivery.

An obstetric technician from the Labor and Delivery Unit took blood from Clarisa's arms, hands and face during her treatment, according to court documents.

It was not until May 7 that the police discovered Clarisa's possible involvement when she found Facebook messages between her and Ochoa-Lopez that was organizing a meeting on April 23, the day of the last visit of the pregnant teenager.

The police finally obtained a search warrant after DNA tests showed that the baby was not Clarisa's, as she had claimed.

Spokesperson for the Department of Child and Family Services, Jassen Strokosch, told NBC Chicago that it was not until 9 May that a mandated reporter, a forced person by law to report suspected abuse, had informed the newborn.

DNA tests showed that the little boy was indeed the child of Ochoa-Lopez and that the newborn had been reunited with his family. The boy named Yadiel, that's what his mother had planned to give him as a name, according to a family spokesman.

The family said Monday that Yadiel was still in critical condition and was dependent on breathing apparatus.

The lawyer Christ Medical Center said Tuesday in a statement that his thoughts and prayers were with the Ochoa-Lopez family.

"Our priority is to provide the safest and highest quality care to the patients and communities we serve," said the hospital. "Out of respect for patients' privacy and in accordance with federal and national regulations, we can not comment, we continue to cooperate with local authorities."