Woman 'butchered pregnant neighbour and cut unborn baby from her womb to raise as her own child after luring victim to her home by promising her a free buggy'

A woman who allegedly butchered her heavily pregnant neighbour to cut her unborn baby from her womb so she raise it as her own child has been caught by police. 

Victim Paula Janaína Ferreira Melo, 25 was lured to her killer's apartment on Tuesday in Porto Alegre, Brazil, with the promise of a new baby buggy for her soon-to-be-born son.

But when she arrived, her 42-year-old neighbour killed her and cut out her foetus with a knife.

The killer, who has not been named by police, then called paramedics saying she had just given birth alone at home.

Then she shockingly smeared her legs and the floor with blood and placed the baby between her legs to make it look as if she had just given birth, according to local media. 

Police investigation head Graziela Zanelli said: 'She created a scene that was supposed to show she had given birth in her room, with blood and the child between her legs.'

She was rushed to nearby Conceicao Hospital where doctors declared the baby boy dead on arrival. 

Suspicious medics called police when tests showed the woman was not the baby's mother.

Local media reports say she was arrested and is now facing two murder charges and a further charge of concealing a corpse.

The scheming suspect had pretended to be pregnant for two months while she bonded with her future victim to find out exactly when she was due to give birth. 

She had planned to pass the baby as her own.

Police found Paula's body wrapped in plastic and hidden under a bed in her killer's apartment.

Investigation head Zanelli explained that she had a history of trying to get pregnant and not being able to.

'She plotted for the child to be taken on the same day as her birthday, October 14 and told all her family and friends that she was pregnant.'

Paula is survived by a seven-year-old daughter and was also an adoptive mum to her four-year-old niece.

The baby she had been expecting would have been her first child with her current partner.

Her brother-in-law Bruno Lopes told local media: 'My brother treated the two children as if they were his own daughters.

'But they were overjoyed at the idea of having their first biological child together.

'My brother is devastated.'

He told how Paula had already bought nappies, clothes and toys for her son but was delighted to have been offered a new stroller for the tot.

Her scheming killer had approached her through Facebook, offering to help her with bills and even paying for a scan to make sure her foetus was healthy.

Bruno said: 'She decided to pick it up at the killer's home because it was close by.

'But she was lured in and murdered by a monster.'

Paula's heartbroken mum Janaina Ferreira Melo told local media: 'It is diabolical. My daughter was an innocent, tempted with presents and then killed.'

Judge Andre Vorraber Costa remanded the suspect in custody on Wednesday while the police investigation continues.