A couple who were desperate to have a child abducted an 8-months pregnant woman and brutally tied the young woman to a tree with barbed wire, before cutting her open and taking her baby from her womb.
The horrific murder occurred near the Joao Pinheiro region in Brazil. The young pregnant woman, Mara Cristiana da Silva, was only 23 years old when she died after being cut open with a knife. Mara was found dead in a woodland in the Southeast region of the country.
The assailants, husband and wife Roberto Gomes da Silva and Angelina Rodrigues, were caught when Angelina took the newborn baby to the Sao Lucas hospital claiming that she had just given birth. Suspicious, doctors quickly alerted the police and Angelina was apprehended.
According to Mara’s aunt, Euza Ribeiro, Angelina had befriended Mara when she found out that Mara was about to have a baby girl. The relative claims that Angelina became close to Mara since the Angelina had “always dreamed of having a baby girl”.
Telling local publication G1 that Angelina grew especially close to Mara and even moved in with Mara three days prior to the murder, Euza added: “The woman always dreamed of having a baby girl, and when she saw that my niece was pregnant she began to offer help. She lent her money to have her ultra-sound scan and the day she died had told her she was going to buy all the things that the baby needed.”
While Mara tragically lost her life, her baby girl is alive and is being cared for at a hospital in Patos de Minas. The baby is reportedly receiving treatment for a cut to her head, which the police believe the infant sustained as she was cut out of her mother’s womb.
Both Angelina and Roberto were arrested after Mara’s body was discovered. Angelina confessed to getting Mara drunk before abducting her to the wooded area but said that her husband did not take part in the acts.
A police spokesman, however, said that it is difficult for one person to carry out what had happened and revealed that the police are also pursuing the possibility that a third person may also be involved:
“We believe that the husband and a third person took part, but all this will depend on a police investigation. Tests show Angelina isn’t pregnant and we believe the crime was premeditated.”
Angelina was hospitalised after locals tried to attack her as the police brought her to the scene where she claims she last saw Mara. Although police officers stopped the attack, Angelina reportedly needed medical help since she “fainted”.
Mara was buried yesterday.