Dos Santos was living with Generoso and her boyfriend, 21 year old Nicolas Diniz Lopes Caetano, for several months.  It is possible that the couple had taken in dos Santos, who was homeless, as part of a deal where in she would give them her infant when she gave birth.  

What is known from the available media reports is that, at some point, dos Santos was killed and her fetus was cut out of her body.  Her face was burned and her corpse was left near a dam, along with a portion of her placenta, which provided the authorities with the clue that she had been killed for her fetus.

On the same day that dos Santos’ corpse was found, Generoso tried to register a newborn at a notary office but did not have the necessary documentation.  She was turned away and sent to a hospital for the baby to be given a birth certificate. However, once there, she was informed that she would have to undergo an examination and therefore left without the birth certificate. 

The police used the CCTV from the registrar’s office to identify Generoso.  When questioned, she reported that she had adopted the newborn from a woman who had given birth at home.  She could not, however, explain what had happened to the woman from whom she had obtained the newborn.

It appears that Generoso, who was married to an man living in Italy, was planning on hiding overseas, but she was arrested before she could do so.