Investigators also recovered remains believed to be those of María Camila Potosí’s unborn daughter, pending forensic identification.
CALI, Colombia — Colombian authorities arrested five people Thursday in connection with the disappearance and killing of María Camila Potosí, a 21-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant, as investigators recovered remains that may belong to her unborn daughter.
The arrests and discovery marked the most significant developments since Potosí disappeared July 16 and was found dead four days later near the Meléndez River in Cali. Authorities said forensic specialists must conduct examinations, including DNA testing, before confirming whether the remains are those of the child whom Potosí’s family called Alahia.
The five suspects were detained during operations in Cali and Tuluá, according to Colombian news reports citing police and prosecutors. Authorities have not publicly released the full identities of all those arrested. The group reportedly includes a woman who was seen transporting Potosí on a motorcycle shortly before she disappeared and four men accused of assisting in the crime. The suspects are presumed innocent unless convicted in court.
Investigators believe the woman gained Potosí’s trust through meetings or services intended to support pregnant women. Surveillance recordings showed Potosí riding as a passenger on a motorcycle after attending a prenatal appointment and visiting a relative. Her family said she believed she was going to receive gifts or supplies for her expected child. She stopped responding to calls and did not meet her partner as planned, prompting relatives to search hospitals and report her missing.
Potosí’s body was discovered July 20 near the river along the road to La Buitrera, a rural area south of Cali. Authorities said she had suffered multiple injuries caused by a sharp weapon. Her family later said it was told after the autopsy that the child was no longer inside her body, raising hopes at the time that the baby might have survived. Officials did not immediately confirm the child’s condition or location.
Police and prosecutors reconstructed Potosí’s movements through surveillance video, interviews and searches conducted across the city. Investigators said they were examining whether several people helped abduct and kill her. One of the detained suspects reportedly provided information that led investigators to a wooded area in the Torres de Santa Elena sector, where the remains believed to be those of the child were recovered Thursday.
Colombian authorities have described the killing as a suspected femicide, a legal classification used for the killing of a woman because of her gender or under circumstances defined by national law. Prosecutors are expected to present the detained suspects before a judge and outline the evidence supporting any charges. Reports said possible allegations under review include kidnapping, aggravated femicide, forced disappearance and concealment of evidence, but the final charges will be determined through the judicial process.
Investigators have said a possible motive was an attempt to take Potosí’s baby and present the child as belonging to another person. That theory has not been tested in court, and authorities have not released a complete account of how the crime was planned or carried out. They also have not said which actions are attributed to each person in custody.
The case drew widespread attention in Cali as Potosí’s relatives, friends and neighbors held demonstrations demanding answers and the recovery of the child. The city government increased its reward for useful information to 200 million Colombian pesos and established a coordinated command post involving police, prosecutors and other agencies. Local officials condemned the killing and called for the investigation to be handled with attention to violence against women.
Forensic experts with Colombia’s National Institute of Legal Medicine will now work to determine whether the recovered remains belong to Potosí’s daughter. The five suspects remained in custody as prosecutors prepared court proceedings, while authorities continued examining evidence and the individual roles of those allegedly involved.
Author note: Last updated July 30, 2026.