Remains identified: Missing pregnant Chicago woman was strangled, medical examiner says

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed the identity of remains found at 4100 W. 77th Place in Chicago as 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui, WGN-TV reports.

The office, which identified her as Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, determined her cause of death as ligature strangulation. It was ruled a homicide. The remains were found in a garbage can just after midnight on Wednesday.

UPDATE 5:09 p.m. CT:

WGN-TV reports the family of missing 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui from the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago said a baby that was hospitalized in critical condition belongs to the 19-year-old.

The boy is described as brain dead and on life support. Police have not confirmed to WGN that the baby belongs to Ochoa-Uriostegui.

MORE: Family says hospitalized baby belongs to missing 19-year-old from Pilsen - WGN

via WGN:

CHICAGO (WNG) -- Chicago police are questioning four people in the disappearance of 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui, who was nine months pregnant.

The people were taken into custody from a home on West 77th Place, where remains were recently recovered. The Cook County Medical Examiner said an autopsy is pending.

Relatives of Ochoa-Uriostegui are awaiting positive identification, but fear it may be her.

Ochoa-Uriostegui went missing on April 23. After leaving Latino Youth High School in Pilsen, her family said she went to the home on West 77th Place to swap items arranged through a Facebook group called “Help a Sister Out." The woman claimed to have a stroller and other baby items.

"She was giving clothes away, supposedly under the pretenses that her daughters had been given clothes and they had all these extra boy clothes. That's the false pretenses that we believe led her to that house," said Cecelia Garcia, a spokeswoman for Ochoa-Uriostegui's family.

Hours later that same day, neighbors said a 46-year-old woman came running out of the home claiming that she had just given birth to a baby boy and he wasn't breathing.

The baby was transported to Christ Hospital, Chicago fire officials confirm. He remains hospitalized in intensive care.

Neighbors told WGN there was considerable activity overnight at the home on West 77th Place with detectives removing massive amounts of evidence, and there was an apparent focus on the backyard and possibly the basement.

Neighbors said the people being questioned by police include the 46-year-old woman, her boyfriend, her daughter and a man in his 20s. They were also surprised by an alleged birth since no one knew of a pregnancy.

Family of Ochoa-Uriostegui said DNA testing by police has confirmed the baby is hers. They have named him Yadiel, and they are praying for a miracle since he is described as brain dead and on life support.