William Paterson Grad Dies In 4th Of July Hit-And-Run

CLIFTON, NJ — By all accounts, things were looking up for Marileidy Morel Araujo.

Her fiancé, Danny Fernandez, had survived a severe case of the coronavirus, and the two had purchased a home in Matamoras, Pennsylvania, which they were renovating.

The couple were to be married later in the year, but that all changed on July 4.

Araujo, who was born in the Dominican Republican but grew up in Paterson, was killed by a hit-and-run driver while walking her dog in Fairfield, Connecticut. She was 32.

"She had really just started that next chapter of her life," said Danny Fernandez's sister, Denise Fernandez. "I'm just devastated."

Araujo graduated from William Paterson University with a master's degree in marketing in May 2019. While completing her degree, she worked full-time in Captial One's real estate marketing department.

Her cousin, Liliana Torres Araujo, told Patch's Anna Bybee-Schier that she was humble, caring and kind.

"She was a hard worker, a dreamer," Liliana said in an interview via Facebook Messenger. "… She was more than a cousin. She was like a sister."

Declan Kot, 22, was arrested by Fairfield Police on Wednesday night.

He is charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle, a Class D felony, as well as evading responsibility in operating a vehicle resulting in death, evidence tampering, failure to drive in the proper lane, driving without fenders, driving with tinted windows without a tinting sticker and driving with a tinted windshield, police said.

Kot could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the evading charge.

According to New12, friends and family attended a vigil in Fairfield in remembrance of Araujo.

On July 19, a 3.2-mile run and walk is scheduled for 9 a.m. at Garrett Mountain Reservation in Woodland Park, which will honor Araujo.

Funeral services are scheduled for Sunday in Passaic, and Araujo will be buried in Clifton on Monday.

A GoFundMe has been created in her name, which, according to the page, will help fund her memorial service.

The fundraiser has collected $23,565 of the $25,000 goal.

Read more: Woman Killed In Fairfield Hit-And-Run 'A Hard Worker, A Dreamer'