Clarisa Figueroa is accused of luring pregnant teenager Marlen Ochoa-Lopez to her Chicago-area house with a promise of a baby stroller before murdering the teen and cutting the baby from Marlen’s womb. Police now allege that Clarisa’s own adult daughter helped her strangle Ochoa-Lopez with a coaxial cable.
Figueroa, who is facing murder charges along with her adult daughter Desiree Figueroa, allegedly pretended she’d given birth on a GoFundMe page set up after the slaying. Marlen Ochoa-Lopez was just 19. Authorities say the nine-months-pregnant Illinois teen thought she was going to the older’s woman’s home to get a stroller and possibly baby clothes after meeting Figueroa through a Facebook group for mothers called Help A Sister Out.
The baby has also now died.
“Words cannot express how disgusting and thoroughly disturbing these allegations are,” Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a news conference. He called the victim “a wonderful young woman and expectant mother who was nine months pregnant” and said she was in communication with “one of the offenders.” On May 14, 2019, the investigation “took a terrible turn” when authorities located the remains of a “female in a trash can,” who was identified as Ochoa-Lopez, the police superintendent said. The murder weapon was found in the same location, authorities said.
Authorities had learned that Clarisa Figueroa claimed “to have given birth to a child who was not breathing. Through DNA testing, we are now certain that the child was Ms. Ochoa’s,” said Johnson. Marlen Ochoa-Lopez’s name has also been given as Marlen Ochoa and Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui.
“It was on the 7th of May where this case took a turn,” said Deputy Chief Brendan Deenihan about Marlen Ochoa’s disappearance. “They found out that Marlen was in contact with a Clarisa Figueroa, who is our charged offender at this time.” He said Marlen’s friend helped police.
Chicago’s police chief said in a news conference, “All of us up here are parents, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. So it doesn’t escape us, the emotional” cost “this takes on people….They (Ochoa-Lopez’s family) should be celebrating the birth of a young baby. Instead they’re mourning the death of this young lady and possibly the child.” The baby is fighting for his life and is in “grave condition,” according to Johnson.
MugshotClarisa Figueroa
Ochoa-Lopez was married. “Why did these people, why did these bad people do this? She did nothing to them,” said Yovani Lopez, her husband, to The Chicago Tribune. “She was a good person.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Police Say Ochoa-Lopez’s Baby Was Cut From Her Womb After She Posted on Facebook About Needing a Double Stroller
Surrounded by family members and supporters, the father of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez nearly collapsed this morning as he walked into the Cook County medical examiner’s office to identify his daughter’s body.
t.co/eqv5sZ3KJc
The first contact between the pregnant teenager and Clarisa Figueroa allegedly came through a Facebook group.
A screenshot of Marlen’s post on April 22 to the Help a Sister Out page reads, “Mommies in here by any chance is anyone selling, trading or just simply donating a Double Stroller your babies don’t use anymore? I just really need one for my baby soon to be born and my 2 year old. Preferably neutral color. I’d really appreciate it. It’ll be such a great help. I’m also selling a single stroller neutral for $50 brand new in box willing to trade for a double stroller. Near South Side around Gage park. I can pick up.”
People have also posted a screenshot purportedly showing Figueroa’s response.
Marlen: “Clarisa Figueroa what’s your location hun.”
Clarisa: “I’m on the southside of Chicago by 79th and Pulaski if you want to wait a week my girl has all brand New boy clothes her son never wore.”
Marlen: “Yes girl that’s fine thank you so much.”
Clarisa: “No problem girl I know how it is she was lucky to have two baby showers so she just loves to spread the wealth. I’m fine with the help inbox me for more info ok.”
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Marlen Ochoa-Lopez was strangled to death after being “lured to a Southwest Side home,” where her infant son was “cut from her womb.” The home was located in the 4100-block of West 77th Place in Chicago’s Scottsdale neighborhood. Her body was “dumped” behind the residence, The Chicago Tribune reported.
ABC 7 reported that Marlen Ochoa-Lopez was nine months pregnant when she was reported missing three weeks ago from Pilsen.
Deputy Chief Brendan Deenihan said in a news conference that it was a “terrible crime scene.”
Deenihan explained that, on the 23rd of April, Marlen was last seen and her husband reported her missing the next day. Through May 7, he said, “detectives were working with family and friends to try to locate Marlen and her car.” At that time, authorities had no idea she was at the Figueroa residence, he said.
“We were using all available technology to see if we could locate Marlen and her car but were unable to do so,” he said, adding that authorities were also checking hospitals to see if Marlen had delivered a baby. One of Marlen’s friends then stated to the detectives that Marlen was on a chat site on Facebook. Authorities then found out that Marlen “was in contact with a Clarisa Figueroa, who is our charged offender at this time, and she was involved in this Facebook group.”
He confirmed that Marlen had arranged to pick up baby items from Figueroa. Detectives then traced Figueroa’s home and they knocked on the door. They encountered Clarisa’s daughter, who claimed her mother “was at the hospital.” Desiree then claimed her “mom had just delivered a baby,” according to Deenihan. He said that detectives quickly located Marlen’s car nearby.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that neighbors thought Clarisa was acting odd; she claimed she was pregnant, calling it a “miracle,” but drank alcohol and smoked, and a daughter of Figueroa’s allegedly labeled her a liar.
2. Clarisa Figueroa’s Boyfriend Is Accused of Concealing a Homicidal Death & Shared the GoFundMe Page
Piotr Bobak
After the murder, Figueroa is accused of taking an elaborate charade public; a now-deleted GoFundMe page claimed she had given birth. Fox32 news journalist Tia Ewing alleged that Clarisa Figueroa “posted on @gofundme that her baby was ill,” according to police.
“I am reaching out today on behalf of a precious little angel… Xander Xavier Bobak,” reads a screenshot of the page. “The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Christ Hospital is a special place, that I hope none of you ever need to be a part of. This part of the hospital is where they care for the sickest and tiniest babies, who may live in the hospital for months at a time. Life in the NICO is a roller-coaster ride for families – the ups and downs can be incredibly satisfying or equally heartbreaking. Watching a one pound baby, who quite literally fits in the palm of an adult hand, grow up to laugh and play is nothing short of a miracle. But sadly not every parent has that joy.”
Here’s the second and third pages of the GoFundMe screenshot.
It reads, in part, “On April 23rd, Clarisa Figueroa, pregnant at 36 weeks found herself terrified as she began to experience abnormal labor pains while alone in her house. Within moments, she gave birth to her son Xander at 7lbs as she called 911 and followed the instructions of the emergency dispatcher.”
On Facebook, in a post still visible, Figueroa’s boyfriend called Marlen’s child his “son.”
“My son is a fighter made it this far ,but not much time left ,life support, brain dead,very little function in the brain. Born 4/23/19 6:39pm,” Clarisa Figueroa’s boyfriend, Peter Bobak, posted on his still-visible Facebook page, sharing the GoFundMe.
Here’s the pulled @gofundme page that gofundme says Clarisa Figueroa created. The post goes on to say that Clarisa gave birth on April 23rd and she experienced abnormal labor, calling 911. Police say that was the day Clarisa cut #MarlenOchoa’s baby boy out of her womb. @fox32news
The cache for the now-deleted GoFundMe page reads, “Fundraiser for Angelita Campos by Clarisa Figueroa …May 6, 2019 – Angelita Campos needs your help today! Baby Xander -NICU – I am reaching out today on behalf of a precious little angel…..Xander Xavier.”
The GoFundMe sought $9,000, according to The Tribune.
FacebookPete Bobak
Bobak, who is known as Piotr Bobak, the boyfriend of Clarisa Figueroa, was accused of concealing a homicidal death. “He concealed the murder,” Deenihan alleged. He said it “appears from our interviews that this was the first time they did this.”
Bobak’s Facebook page also contains an ultrasound from 2018 in the name of Clarisa Figueroa. Internet sleuths have unearthed gag pictures of ultrasounds; one looks extremely similar.
Deenihan said detectives went to the hospital on May 7 and spoke to Figueroa. She denied meeting with Marlen at her house but admitted knowing her and “meeting her in the past,” he claimed. “We recovered DNA from the baby and from the actual father,” he added, saying that authorities then subpoenaed the hospital records.
3. Authorities Say Clarisa Figueroa’s Daughter Helped Her Mother Murder Marlen Ochoa
Desiree Figueroa
Horrifically, as if the twisted tale couldn’t be any worse, authorities now say that Clarisa Figueroa’s own daughter helped her murder the pregnant teenager.
“Desiree Figueroa confesses that she assisted her mother in strangling Marlen,” Deenihan said in the news conference as he detailed how authorities’ investigation proceeded. “At that point we were able to charge all of these offenders.”
Deenihan added, “Detectives obviously…once they got to this house and interviewed Desiree and Clarisa, they knew they needed to get DNA…to prove this case.”
On May 14, detectives had executed a search warrant at the Figueroa home and discovered a “garbage can in a hidden area on the premises and unfortunately that’s when they discovered the remains of Marlen,” said Deenihan.
“The cause of death was strangulation,” Deenihan said. Superintendent Johnson said authorities assume the motive was to “raise the child as their own.”
The device used to strangle Marlen was recovered. Burnt clothes, “blood indication,” bleach and cleaning solutions were also recovered from the Figueroa home, he said.
4. Clarisa Wrote on Facebook That She Previously Lost a Son
A photo on Clarisa Figueroa’s Facebook page.
According to her Facebook page, Clarisa Figueroa wrote that she “studied at The University of Chicago,” and “went to Chicago Vocational High School.” She wrote that she lives in Chicago, Illinois and is from Chicago. Her page is filled with pictures of cars.
In July 2017, Figueroa posted a photo with a man that remains her profile picture on Facebook. “My son passed away,” she wrote when comment writers inquired what had happened. “OMG so sorry Clarisa Figueroa. So sorry for your loss. I remember when we were roommates and he was just a baby. May God be with you and your family right now and always,” wrote one woman.
His name was given as Xaxier, the middle name given to Marlen’s baby by the accused killer.
Clarisa responded, “Well we started a go fund me page to try and collect donations because we weren’t prepared for this so any thing will help it’s in my wall.” Her last visible post, from 2018, on Facebook is a drawing of that man’s name.
The police superintendent confirmed that, in 2017, Clarisa’s “20something son passed away from natural causes.”
5. Clarisa Figueroa Called 911 & Allegedly Posted in the Group for Mothers Asking Who Was Due in May
Clarisa Figueroa admitted in her gofundme post that is now pulled, that she called 911 saying she’d given birth. Here is the 911 dispatcher sending help after that call was made. #MarlenOchoa
Police announced the charges on May 16, 2019. Marlen Ochoa-Lopez was found dead early Wednesday on May 15, 2019. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the baby is on life support and is brain dead.
HEARTBREAKING: The body of pregnant 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui was found in a garbage can outside a home on Chicago’s Southwest Side. Officials confirmed her baby was cut out of her body. t.co/9unHyLCtSN
According to The Chicago Tribune, Figueroa called 911 in a panic to report that the child was “pale and blue,” and the baby was taken to the hospital, where he remains.
Deenihan said in the press conference that authorities have evidence of Marlen’s car being in the area on April 23 and four hours later “our defendant Clarisa calls 911 with a newborn baby stating, ‘I just had a baby.'” He said that Marlen had already been murdered at this point.
In one now chilling posting, Clarisa Figueroa appears to have posted in a group for mothers on March 5, writing, “Who is due in May. Where is the May mama’s at.”