Memorial & Fundraiser Held For Teen Found Burned In Sweetwater
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SWEETWATER (CBSMiami.com) -- Family and friends gathered Sunday for the memorial of a teen found burned in a Sweetwater mall earlier this month.
According to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald, authorities found 17-year old Romina Fernandez burned near a dumpster behind the mall on October 14th. Three days before, her parents had reported her missing.
While investigators try to find out how this happened, her family has been dealing with financial hardships on top of grieving for Fernandez.
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The paper reported the family had to borrow money to cremate and bury Fernandez. They have also been given a 30-day eviction notice.
To take the pressure off the family, friends and members of the community gathered Sunday to commemorate Fernandez as well as raise funds for the family to cover burial costs.
The event was held at Ronselli Park in Sweetwater.
One of the organizers, Basheer Mustafa, 27, believes they were able to gather all the funds needed to cover the funeral expenses but anyone wanting to donate is still able to.
Meantime, investigators are trying to piece together what happened to Fernandez.
Friends told family that the night she disappeared, she called them and told them in Spanish she could not be friends with them anymore and she was moving to New York with a man.
Fernandez's mother said he daughter never spoke to her friends in Spanish.
"She spoke perfect English, and perfect Spanish. But she spoke to her friends in English and to family in Spanish," Perez told the paper. "That has to have some significance."
Her mother later received a letter in the mail with her daughter's handwriting, saying "Hola Mami. I'm OK. I'm going to New York with a friend. He bought me food and my medicine. Don't worry. I'll call you in a month."
Anyone interested in donating can click here. So far, they've raised $3,581 but their goal is $8,000.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report.)
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