Local authorities report that a pregnant teen died after a woman allegedly cut her unborn child from her womb.
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At a press conference in Cuiabá, Brazil, on Friday, Civil Police Chief Caio Albuquerque announced that 16-year-old Emilly Azevedo Sena, who was nine months pregnant, had been missing since Wednesday.
The following day, her body was discovered buried in the backyard of a residence in the Jardim Florianópolis neighborhood, according to Chief Albuquerque.
The home belonged to Nataly Pereira, 25, and Christian de Arruda, 28. The married couple was arrested earlier at a hospital in Cuiabá, Brazil, where they were attempting to register the baby as their own.
Chief Albuquerque revealed that Pereira confessed to having a miscarriage six months earlier. However, never told her husband or family. Instead, she pretended to still be pregnant, per local news outlet g1.
In an official statement issued on Friday, the Civil Judicial Police of Mato Grosso reported receiving a call from a local hospital on Thursday. The call came after a woman and her husband arrived with a newborn baby, which the woman claimed was her own.
Hospital staff grew suspicious when they noticed the Pereira showed no physical signs of having recently given birth or being pregnant.
The Teen Mom-to-Be was Promised Free Baby Clothes Before Her Baby was Cut From Her Womb
Police launched an investigation at the hospital, which eventually directed them to the couple’s home, where they discovered Emilly’s body. Pereira confessed to Sena’s murder and now faces three charges: homicide, hiding a corpse, and falsely registering another person’s baby as her own, according to the police statement on Friday.
Authorities reported that Sena had met Pereira through WhatsApp. She was lured to the suspect’s home under the pretense of receiving donated baby clothes.
The suspected killer went so far as to cover Sena’s transportation costs.
It was originally suspected that Pereira and her husband De Arruda worked together on the murder plot. However, Pereira reportedly confessed to working alone.
According to investigators, De Arruda claimed he was unaware of Sena’s murder and believed his wife had safely given birth. He even posted a photo on social media after the delivery, celebrating his new role as a father.
Emilly’s mother, Ana Paula Meridiane, addressed reporters during a memorial held in honor of her daughter.
“I didn’t just lose a daughter, I lost a friend, partner and companion,” she told g1. “Only those who lived with her know how wonderful her heart was.”