Baby stolen from murdered Chicago mother opens eyes for first time

A baby stolen from a young mother's womb after she was allegedly strangled has opened his eyes for the first time.

Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, 19, was nine months pregnant when she was strangled and her baby “forcibly removed” last month, Chicago police said.

Her body was discovered behind a property in the city earlier this month.

The baby boy, named Yovanny Jardiel, remains in a critical condition in hospital and in the custody of his father, Ms Ochoa-Lopez's husband Yiovanny Lopez.

On Monday Ms Ochoa-Lopez's family told NBC Chicago that the woman's father had visited his grandson in hospital when the child opened his eyes.

It comes as police are investigating whether a hospital violated state law by not immediately reporting that a woman who claimed to be the mother of a newborn had not given birth.

The woman was later charged with strangling the baby's mother and cutting the newborn from her womb.

The Cook County Sheriff"s Office said on Monday that it will ask the state's child welfare agency to determine if a suburban Chicago hospital acted properly in the case.

Clarisa Figueroa, 46 and her daughter, Desiree, 24, were charged with first-degree murder for allegedly strangling Ms Ochoa-Lopez and cutting her unborn baby out of her.

Police have said Clarisa called 911 hours later to report that the baby she had just given birth to was not breathing.

The Chicago Police Department said the hospital never alerted them after determining in late April that Figueroa was not the mother.

Prosecutors said that when Figueroa was brought with the baby to the hospital, she had blood on her upper body and face, which was cleaned off. It was also found she showed no physical signs of childbirth.

Police said Figueroa lured Ms Ochoa-Lopez to her home by posting an ad for baby clothes on Facebook.

Her body was later found behind a property in Chicago last week.