WICHITA, KANSAS: Police reported that a pregnant student at Wichita State University was found dead inside her boyfriend's car after he allegedly strangled her and dumped her body in the trunk.
Zaiylah Bronson, 19, was discovered unconscious in the trunk of Alexander Lewis' car by police after one of his relatives called Kansas police to report a possible murder, according to KAKE. Lewis, 22, was arrested on Saturday.
How pregnant was Zaiylah Bronson at time of death ?
Zaiylah Bronson was 16 weeks pregnant, and officers attempted to save her life, but the responding EMS personnel declared her dead at the scene.
What did Zaiylah Bronson's mother say?
About the heartbreaking moment police told Zaiylah's mother Taronza Bronson that her daughter had died, she said, "I just fell to the floor. She had just found out that she was having a boy. And of course, we had that conversation."
Taronza said in reference to their most recent phone call, “We even had a separate conversation on what she was naming it. She would not tell me the baby’s name, she said, 'No, Mom, it’s a surprise.'"
Taronza described Zaiylah as her pride and joy, noting that the university student appeared to be doing well, as reported by New York Post.
According to her mother, Zaiylah recently told her about getting a new managerial job and car, and she was excited to begin her second year at WSU as she pursued her dream of becoming a math teacher.
Taronza went on to say that her daughter was always smiling and showed no signs of becoming a victim of domestic violence.
How much has Zaiylah Bronson's GoFundMe raised?
As of Wednesday afternoon, a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for Zaiylah's funeral and burial had raised nearly $7,500.
Lewis is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on second-degree murder charges.
The case has raised concerns about the city's increase in domestic violence, with the Wichita Family Crisis Center reporting a 60% increase in women seeking shelter from their abusers in the last year.
According to the most recent Kansas Bureau of Investigation data, more than 25% of the 22,596 domestic violence incidents reported in 2021 occurred in Sedgwick County.