In the second such case in two years in the United States, a woman nearly 9-months pregnant died after a childhood friend cut her unborn baby from her womb in an attempt to pass the infant off as her own.
According to an AP report, mother Angelikque Sutton (pictured above), 22, had been stabbed multiple times across her body Friday. Sutton visited 22-year-old Ashleigh Wade at her apartment, where police say Wade stabbed Sutton to death, and then carved her baby out of her stomach.
The unborn baby survived the attack and is reportedly in good health.
Now, Wade faces murder, criminal possession of a weapon and other charges.
Police say Wade had been telling people for months she was pregnant, even posting a baby registry and due date online. But police say she was never pregnant. Wade was reportedly friends with Sutton back in elementary school, and the two had reconnected before Wade invited Sutton to her apartment. That’s where police found Wade and Sutton’s body.
When police first arrived, Wade claimed the baby was hers but later changed her story and said she stabbed Sutton in self-defense. Wade also told police she cut out Sutton’s unborn child to save the baby.
Follow LifeNews.com on Instagram for pro-life pictures and the latest pro-life news.
Here’s more:
The suspect, 22-year-old Ashleigh Wade, was taken into custody while screaming that the baby was hers, police said. She was being held on murder, manslaughter and weapons charges.
“I seen when they were wheeling her out and they had the blanket over her head,” said neighbor Diana Rivera.
“The other lady, she looked sad when they took her out of the police car and put her in the ambulance,” said neighbor Vivette Williams.
Detectives discovered a knife and placenta in the blood-spattered apartment building when they responded to an emergency call from Wade’s boyfriend, who had been called to the scene, police said.
Police said the newborn baby girl was delivered just moments after the bloodshed, but Sutton died Friday evening.
“Ashleigh Wade told the world she was expecting a baby girl. The would-be father was so excited that he posted a sonogram picture on his social media profile, along with links to baby registries in Wade’s name, that listed a due date of Nov. 16,” ABC news reports. “Wade’s landlord says there was no doubt that her tenant was expecting. However, it was, according to police sources, an elaborate ruse. Wade, they say, was never pregnant – 22-year-old Angelikque Sutton was.”
ABC news indicates, “Police and paramedics encountered a blood-soaked horror show, and rushed Sutton to the hospital. The baby survived, but police could do nothing for Sutton.”
Davon Warren grew up across the street from Sutton and could not summon the words to describe the pain and the knowledge of the baby girl who will never know her mom.
“Hopefully her sisters will tell her the good things about her – just remember all the good times and stuff,” said Warren.
The landlord who lives in the house told Eyewitness News that she was so convinced that Wade actually was pregnant that she had already bought her a card, and was on her way to go buy her a baby gift.
In Colorado, Dynel Catrece Lane was arrested after she attacked a pregnant woman and cut her seven-month-old unborn baby out of her womb. In this unbelievable act of violence, the baby died but the mother, Michelle Wilkins survived. Currently, Lane is standing trial for attempted murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy.
