$23,000 Raised For Children Of Slain Ex-Bergen Parents

Nearly $23,000 has been donated to help the children of former Bergen County residents who were shot to death in their North Carolina home Friday.

Sandy and Stephanie Mazzella were shot to death in their home, the result of an alleged dispute between the family and Jonathan Frederick Sander, a neighbor and co-worker of Sandy Mazzella.

The couple’s 14-year-old daughter and Sandy’s father survived the attack. The couple’s 7-year-old son was not at home.

Related: 3 North Jersey Natives Shot To Death Inside N.C. Home

Laurel Gallion started the fundraising campaign. She worked with Stephanie Mazzella for 10 years.

“It is our hope to provide these children with whatever needs they have, immediately,” Gallion said.

Scholarship funds for the children will be set up, Gallion said. “Stephanie and Sandy worked their tails off, providing their children with whatever they needed. We will not let them down.”

Sander, 52, was charged with first-degree murder after the couple was found dead in their home along with Sandy’s mother Elaine, 76, who was visiting.

The incident stems from a reported dispute between Sandy Mazzella and Sander, who worked for the same landscaping business. They had been arguing for months, reports have said.

Related: Man Charged In Triple Homicide Had Restraining Order Lifted The Day Before The Killings

Sandy Mazzella filed a temporary restraining order against Sander in February after Sander allegedly threatened to kill him. The restraining order was lifted the day before the killings because the judge in the case said, “it was just words,” Sandy Mazzella’s brother Richard told the Charlotte News & Observer.

Sandy and Stephanie Mazzella