An Illinois woman who savagely murdered a pregnant teen and helped cut her infant out of her womb will spend decades behind bars, a Cook County judge ruled.
According to the Associate Press, Clarisa Figueroa, 51, appeared for sentencing Tuesday, following the 2019 strangulation death of pregnant Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, 19. She received 50 years behind bars.
When asked by Judge Peggy Chiampas if she understood that she would serve her full sentence without the possibility of early parole release, the defendant responded with, “Yes.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Figueroa and her daughter, Desiree Figueroa, were both charged with first-degree murder for the brutal slaying of Ochoa-Lopez.
Prosecutors said they lured Ochoa-Lopez to their home on April 23, 2019, with the promise of baby supplies. The duo then strangled Ochoa-Lopez when she arrived and cut the baby from her womb, in an attempt to keep the infant as their own.
Two months later, the infant, Yovanny Lopez, passed away from brain damage, along with complications from a prolapsed umbilical cord and placenta.
In January, Desiree Figueroa pleaded guilty to murder and took a plea deal, which allowed her to receive 30 years in prison in exchange for testimony against her mother.
In 2023, Desiree Figueroa’s boyfriend, Piotr Bobak, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after helping conceal the murder. He received a four-year prison sentence, with credit for the 3 years and 8 months he had already served in jail.
“The memory of my infant son’s last breath in my arms is complete agony,” the baby’s father said during sentencing Tuesday.
“God’s justice will be served upon you the day you die.”
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[Feature Photo: Yovanny Lopez/Family Handout]
