CHICAGO (DPA) – The body of a 19-year-old pregnant woman reported missing last month was found behind a Chicago home, strangled, hours after several people at the home were taken into custody, according to authorities.

The baby was cut out of the woman’s body after she was slain and remains in “grave” condition, according to the Chicago Police Department’s chief spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

“We believe that she was murdered and we believe that the baby (was) forcibly removed following that murder,” Mr Guglielmi said.

The grim discovery brought to an end the search for Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui, who family said was last seen leaving her high school April 23.

She was nine months’ pregnant when she disappeared, and family members said she had gone to the Southwest Side home in the 4100 block of West 77th Place to swap baby clothes with a woman she met through a Facebook group.

The teen’s family said they’ve been told by police that the baby was on life support at Advocate Christ Medical Centre in Oak Lawn with no brain function.

This could not be confirmed with police, but fire officials confirmed paramedics answered a call for a newborn in distress at the 77th Place address on the day Ochoa-Uriostegui disappeared.

Police have also said that several people were being interviewed, but Mr Guglielmi wouldn’t specify anyone’s role in the killing.

“We believe all of them played some role in this unspeakable act of violence,” Mr Guglielmi said, “and detectives are now interrogating (those) individuals.”

No charges have been announced.

Ochoa-Uriostegui, married with a three-year-old son, was last seen leaving Latino Youth High School in the Pilsen section on April 23 to pick up the boy from Teddy Bear Day Care at 51st Street and Pulaski Avenue, according to police.

She lived in the 6000 block of South Honore Street.

The family had been making public pleas to locate her since she disappeared, at one point asking police to check the identity of a newborn brought to a Chicago fire station shortly after birth. The baby, however, was not Ochoa-Uriostegui’s.

Her family said they believe she went to the home on 77th Place after a woman on Facebook said she had a stroller and baby clothes.

“She was giving clothes away, supposedly under the pretence that her daughters had been given clothes and they had all these extra boy clothes,” said Ms Cecelia Garcia, a spokeswoman for Ochoa-Uriostegui’s family.

Hours later, at about 6 pm that evening, Chicago Fire Department paramedics were called to the home on 77th Place for a newborn with “CPR in progress”, according to department spokesman Larry Merritt.

The baby was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Centre.

Mr Merritt had no other details, but a source said the baby “was basically blue” when paramedics arrived.

The family said it has been told that DNA extracted from Ochoa-Uriostegui’s toothbrush and hairbrush was used to establish a match between the teen and the baby. The family said it has named the baby Yadiel.

On May 8, more than two weeks after the ambulance call, Ochoa-Uriostegui’s black Honda Civic was found abandoned in the 7700 block of South Keeler Avenue, a few blocks from where her body was discovered.

On Tuesday afternoon, police officers were seen escorting several people from the home. The Police Department would only say that officers “are conducting interviews of individuals in regard to this missing person investigation”.

About 12.10am on Wednesday, the medical examiner’s office was notified of a body at the 77th Place address.

“The family has been on a roller coaster,” said Ms Emma Lozano, a pastor at Lincoln United Methodist Church. “It’s hard for them to find words. Everybody is struggling with this.”

Shortly before news of Ochoa-Uriostegui’s slaying and identification broke on Wednesday evening, community members gathered at Lincoln United to pray for her and her family.

“My heart is bleeding,” Ms Jacobita Cortes, a pastor at the church, said in Spanish.

Ms Cortes said the community has no other recourse but to pray and hope for Ochoa-Uriostegui’s family. Ms Cortes said she has been in communication with the family since the teen’s disappearance.

“In Marlen’s case, we take it like if it was happening to our own family,” she said in Spanish. “We have looked for her and prayed for her. It is so difficult.”

A similar case occurred in November 1995, when 28-year-old Debra Evans died of a gunshot wound before her assailants crudely cut a healthy, full-term fetus from her womb.

Ms Evans and her 10-year-old daughter, Samantha, were killed in their Addison apartment and Ms Evans’ 7-year-old son, Joshua, was found slain in a Maywood alley.

Authorities alleged that Fedell Caffey, Jacqueline Annette Williams and Lavern Ward killed Debra and Samantha, removed the fetus and abducted Joshua, leaving behind another son, 21-month-old Jordan.

The baby boy whom Ms Evans had been carrying survived. He was named Elijah, and he and Jordan were cared for by Ms Evans’ family.

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