NJ Woman Slain By Boyfriend Was 6 Months Pregnant, Family Says

PLEASANTVILLE, NJ — A South Jersey woman who authorities allege was beaten to death by her boyfriend was six months pregnant when she was killed, according to a fundraiser launched by her family.

Leslianet Quintana-Betancourt, 25, died on Dec. 2 after she was found unresponsive in the Pleasantville home she shared with her boyfriend, 26-year-old Boris Lainez-Rosales, authorities said previously. As a result, Lainez-Rosales was charged with murder. Read more: Man Beat Girlfriend To Death In Shared South Jersey Home: Prosecutor

A GoFundMe created by Quintana-Betancourt's brother, Jefra Castro, said she was six months pregnant with a boy when she died.

"She had a heart of gold and loved much more than anyone I've ever met," Castro wrote.

The GoFundMe has raised more than $6,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Women in the United States who are pregnant or have recently given birth are more likely to die from homicide than pregnancy-related causes like hemorrhage or sepsis, according to researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. And according to the data, it's often linked to domestic violence.

"We suffered two losses, and now we want to honor their memory and spread hope not only for those who mourn but for others who may be going through the same," Castro wrote in the GoFundMe. You can find the fundraiser here.

Editor's note: Victims of domestic violence and people who may be at risk can view their county's resources, call the New Jersey hotline at 1-800-572-SAFE (7233), or contact the national domestic-violence hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). For emergencies, call 911.