A 23-year-old woman stabbed a pregnant woman to death and cut the child from her womb last Friday, reported the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

US court papers say Phiengchai Sisouvanh Synhavong called emergency services after her attack on 27-year-old Araceli Camacho Gomez and tried to pass off the new-born baby as her own.

The child survived the ordeal and is under intensive care in hospital.

According to the court papers, Ms Gomez had her hands and feet bound and suffered "massive trauma to her stomach area" during last Friday's attack. The autopsy revealed that Ms Gomez died from chest wounds, but had other wounds "consistent with the cutting of the body to remove an unborn child".

Her body was found on Saturday in Columbia Park in the city of Kennewick, 360km south-east of Seattle.

Hours earlier, Ms Synhavong had called emergency services to say she had given birth to a baby. When crews arrived, they discovered her in a car with the new-born baby, court documents say.

Police found gloves soaked in blood, a rudimentary medical kit and a baby bottle in her bag. A medical examination later revealed Ms Synhavong had not given birth.

She is accused of first-degree murder and expected back in court on Wednesday.