A 21-year-old woman who was 27 weeks pregnant was killed on October 24 in San Jose, California, when her car was hit by a stolen vehicle. Though doctors were able to prematurely deliver her baby via c-section, he also died the next day.
April Zoglauer was driving home when she collided with the stolen vehicle, which fled the scene. Though she was rushed to the hospital, she died from her injuries, as did her child, Devontae Aaron Zoglauer. KTVU reports that Devontae suffered from internal bleeding following the crash.
Four days following the accident, police arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the crime, though they say one suspect is still outstanding.
Zoglauer had worked at a local preschool since she was in high school. Her colleagues praised her ability to work with young children and said she was so excited to be a mom herself.
“I’ve never had somebody else who could do that job, not the way she could do it,” said Tammy Lariz, who runs the school. Lariz said Zoglauer lived with her and her two daughters.
“She’s an amazing woman and was going to be an amazing mother,” Lariz told NBC Bay Area. “She loved the baby so much.”
Angie Loza, another co-worker, said, “April’s grown up here, so we’ve known her for a very, very long time.” She added, “The baby was a joy for all of us.”
“She’s like a daughter,” Lariz said. “She has been since she was little. She vacationed with us. She did everything my girls do. My middle daughter’s getting married. [Zoglauer] was supposed to be in the wedding. We just got the outfit for baby Davontae to wear. He was going to be a month old.”
Lariz told The Daily Mail that Zoglauer was excited to be a mother, and was “obsessed” with talking about her baby. “He was loved fiercely during his brief time here on earth and will be deeply missed,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page.
“She was a blessing,” Lariz said. “She meant everything to us.”
