Family of slain pregnant teen says baby cut from her womb has breathed on his own for first time

The baby cut from his slain mother's womb in April took an unassisted breath for the first time, according to family members.

Relatives of 6-week-old Yovani Yadiel Lopez said during a press conference last week that the infant, who was named after his father, has breathed without the help of a machine, marking a milestone in his recovery process.

However, the newborn, who was initially given a grim prognosis due to severe brain damage, and his family still have a daunting road ahead of them, according to Pastor Emma Lozanoa, a spokesman for the family.

"The baby is starting to be weaned off the respirator, but there’s a long way to go and we’re all praying for a miracle," Lozanoa told PEOPLE.

"The baby looks so beautiful and so perfect, but we know otherwise," she added. "The lack of oxygen for so long did some major damage to the brain, and we’re all praying for a miracle right now."

Baby Yovani's mother, 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, was brutally murdered on April 23 after she was lured to a home on Chicago's Southwest Side under the pretense of free clothing for her soon-to-be-born child and then strangled with a cable.

Photos from the case:

Clarisa Figueroa, 46, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of the expectant mother after her body was discovered in a trash can behind the suspect's Scottsdale home on May 14.

Her daughter, 24-year-old Desiree Figueroa, was also charged with first-degree murder while the 46-year-old's boyfriend, 40-year-old Piotr "Pete" Bobak, was charged with concealment of a homicide.

Investigators believe Figueroa planned to raise the child on her own following her adult son's 2018 death.

Christ Medical Center, where Figueroa brought the pregnant teen's baby after allegedly cutting him from Ochoa-Lopez' womb, recently came under fire after it was revealed the hospital did not report the suspicious incident until two weeks later.

"We don't know what was happening at the hospital," Illinois Department of Children and Family Services spokesman Jassen Strokosch said, adding he couldn't speculate as to why the agency wasn't contacted sooner.

Ochoa-Lopez's bereaved husband, Yovani Lopez, said he couldn't fathom why anyone would hurt his pregnant wife, with whom he already shared a son, 3-year-old Joshua.

"She didn't do anything to them, she was a good person," he said. "Knowing she had a family, a 3-year-old son. I can't believe it."

A GoFundMe started to support the widower and his two children has raised $57,000 out of its $75,000 goal.