A Williamsburg woman died on Sunday after being left brain-dead from an alleged violent encounter with her husband, her family confirmed.
Shortly before 4 a.m. on Jan. 29, officers from the 90th Precinct found 22-year-old Jennifer Patino in critical condition in front of her apartment building at 51 Ross St.
Police on the scene arrested her 20-year-old husband, Jeffrie Llapa, and charged him with reckless endangerment.
Llapa told police that he had been arguing with his wife on the night of the incident, and investigators allege that the dispute quickly took a deadly turn.
According to police, Patino grabbed the driver’s side door of Llapa’s vehicle as he drove off, “upset that he was leaving.”
“The female was dragged to the ground and suffered injuries to her head as a result,” an NYPD spokesperson added.
Jennifer, an aspiring lawyer, died Sunday after spending a week on life support.
Her sister Mayra announced her death on Facebook Sunday, expressing the pain she and her family felt with Jennifer’s passing.
“I’m going to miss you so much, little sister. I never thought you would leave this world so soon,” the distraught family member said.
Mayra told Brooklyn Paper that Jennifer had recently started working at a law firm in Manhattan, and was looking forward to carving out her own career in the legal system.
“She was always a happy person. She was always friendly with everybody. The kids in our family loved her, and she loved the kids, most of all,” said Mayra.
The heartbroken family set up a fundraiser to help with Jennifer’s funeral costs, raising over $6,000 of the $15,000 goal so far.
“It’s an unexpected and difficult moment, we never expected to go through a loss so soon,” Mayra wrote on the fundraising page. “I want to thank everyone beforehand for your support and collaboration.”
The Patino family, who live on Long Island, are now asking that witnesses continue to come forward with information as the case is still under investigation.
“Anything can actually help in this case at this point. The NYPD wants to know how their relationship was in order to see if she was going through domestic violence,” said Mayra. “We still need more people to come forward. If they saw or heard anything that night, or if they ever saw them in the street arguing, like anything, anything that can help us.”
The Patino family said investigating officers told them that footage and witness accounts of that night are currently being reviewed.
A spokesperson for the NYPD did not comment on whether charges against Llapa would be upgraded following Jennifer’s death.
“Whatever has to be then that’s what he should get. We just want to know the truth and to have justice for her,” said Mayra.
