Colombia murder plot to steal unborn baby shocks nation
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Colombian prosecutors say 21-year-old Maria Camila Potosi, who was nearly 10 months pregnant, was targeted by a group seeking to take her baby and pass the child off as their own . The alleged mastermind, Juliet Cecilia Angulo Escobar, is accused of befriending Potosi through an official maternal care programme while falsely claiming to be pregnant herself . Prosecutors told court that Angulo arranged the crime with four other suspects, offering 4 million Colombian pesos in exchange for help . Potosi was allegedly taken from her home on July 16 under the pretext of a prenatal check-up, then brought to a house in Alto de Polvorines where her abdomen was cut open and the fetus removed .
Key Points
- Prosecutors said Angulo could not become pregnant and allegedly planned to seize another woman's baby to raise as her own .
- She reportedly met Potosi through an official pregnancy care programme and gained her trust by pretending she was also expecting .
- Chat records cited in court allegedly showed Angulo promised 4 million Colombian pesos, about HK$41,000, to four accomplices .
- Authorities said baby Aleiah survived for a period after the procedure but later died; her body was found on July 30 .
- Potosi's body was also discarded in the Melendez River area, and five suspects now face multiple criminal charges .
Why It Matters
The case has drawn attention to how trust built through care networks can allegedly be exploited in extreme violent crimes, a concern that resonates wherever vulnerable women rely on support systems . For Hong Kong readers, it is also a stark reminder of the risks posed by predatory deception in supposedly protective settings and of the importance of safeguarding expectant mothers .