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Daniel Marquez Santeliz, 17, was stabbed during a fight Tuesday, Aug. 22, at the Alpha Convenience Store at Freeman Square, Lynn police said. He died soon after at Salem Hospital.
Iram Allen Jr., 15, of Lynn, is being charged as an adult in the fatal stabbing, the Essex County District Attorney's Office said. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder on Wednesday.
Daniel would have turned 18 on Sept. 13.
Karelis Santeliz said in a GoFundMe that she is a single mother from Venezuela who found strength in her son. She wasn't prepared for the emotional burden of losing him, nor the financial strain of giving him a Christian burial.
I still haven't been able to recover from the pain of knowing that my young and vibrant son has left this world. It's very hard to accept this reality, but it's even harder to accept that another human being took his life. My son Daniel was the only thing that kept me motivated to fight in this country, and he gave me the strength to wake up every day with my best smile despite the adversity and countless difficult health moments I've gone through. Daniel was extremely affectionate and loving to everyone who knew him, and he was a true blessing to me. Today, I not only find myself terribly devastated by this loss, but I also don't have the necessary resources to give my son Daniel a proper burial, who is still in Salem Hospital as of the date of opening this page. That's why I am turning to GoFundMe to raise the necessary funds to give him a Christian burial. At the moment, we are coordinating with the funeral home to schedule the funeral services for Daniel. We will let you know as soon as we have it. Thank you for your support and collaboration. Thank you for your prayers.
The campaign has raised $4,280 of its $10,000 goal as of Saturday evening.
Click here for more information on the GoFundMe campaign.
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