Five arrested in Colombian scheme that killed pregnant woman and stole her newborn
Colombian authorities captured five suspects accused of murdering 21-year-old María Camila Potosí and extracting her unborn child, whose remains were later discovered in a forest.
Police allege that Yulieth Angulo befriended María Camila Potosí through a municipal program for expectant mothers and convinced her to travel for prenatal supplies on July 16. Angulo allegedly paid four gang members about 4 million Colombian pesos to kidnap and kill Potosí, stabbing her and extracting the newborn. The body of the mother was discovered near the Meléndez River with multiple stab wounds, while the baby’s remains were located in a forest after a suspect directed investigators to the site.
DNA testing confirmed the mother-child link. The five accused, including Angulo and gang member Nitzon Mondragón, were arrested in Cali and Tuluá and charged with murder, kidnapping and evidence tampering, each entering a not-guilty plea. President-elect Adelardo de la Espriella condemned the act and called for harsher penalties for child-related crimes.
Why it matters
The case highlights severe gender-based violence and organized crime targeting vulnerable pregnant women in Colombia.
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