The woman, identified as Flavia Godinho Mafra was believed to be 36 weeks pregnant when she died in Canelinha, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

According to NSC Total, Godinho’s school friend admitted using a brick to kill her after luring her to the murder scene on the pretence of a baby shower.

Paulo Alexandre Freyesleben e Silva, the detective in the case confirmed the cause of death of the 24-year-old victim, was a sharp cut to the abdomen and wounds from a brick, G1 newspaper reported.

On August 28, the woman’s lifeless body was reportedly found by the victim’s husband and mother at an abandoned pottery yard with the baby missing.

Police later revealed that the baby was taken to hospital by the suspect and her husband, who were both arrested.

The suspect, who was an old school friend of the victim, reportedly confessed to police that she had been planning to steal a child after she lost her own baby due to a miscarriage in January.

The baby girl remains in hospital where she is said to be receiving treatment for the injuries sustained when she was allegedly ripped from her mother’s belly.

Authorities are yet to confirm if the baby was removed while her mother was alive or if she was already dead.

Flavia, who studied pedagogy and worked as a substitute teacher, has been buried in the Municipal Cemetery of Canelinha.