A heavily pregnant 21-year-old woman was kidnapped, fatally stabbed, and had her unborn baby cut from her womb in Cali, Colombia. María Camila Potosí, who was eight months pregnant, disappeared on July 16 after leaving her home for a routine antenatal check.
Her body was discovered on Monday, wrapped in sheets and a blanket, approximately four miles from her residence. Police found that Potosí had sustained multiple stab wounds and that her unborn child was missing from the womb.
CCTV footage shows Potosí getting onto the back of a motorcycle driven by a woman she had met two months prior through a local support program for pregnant women. This individual is reportedly a central focus of the investigation, having allegedly changed her story to investigators.
Authorities are continuing to search for the missing infant, who Potosí's mother, Alba Gomez, has named Alahia. Gomez has appealed to those holding her granddaughter to return her, stating, "I ask that the people who have her search their hearts and return her to me."
Hours before her disappearance, Potosí had assisted a sick relative at her sister-in-law's home before heading to her medical appointment. Her husband raised the alarm when she did not return home.
Previously, Potosí had shared videos of a gender reveal party for her unborn daughter, where she appeared happy with her husband. The case is being investigated as a potential femicide, though no arrests have been made.
Cali's human rights ombudsman, Gerardo Mendoza, called for a "swift, exhaustive investigation with a gender focus," emphasizing that the "extreme gravity" of the crime should not go unpunished. Senator-elect Jennifer Pedraza and former presidential candidate Sondra Macollins have also publicly demanded justice and rigorous answers from authorities.