Family friend mourns 21-year-old pregnant woman, baby killed in San Jose hit-and-run

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A San Jose hit-and-run crash between two cars Tuesday night left a pregnant woman and her baby dead, police said.

Family friend Tammy Lariz identified the victim to ABC7 as 21-year-old April Zoglauer.

"Everybody loved her, she was so special to everyone that knew her," Lariz said.

Zoglauer was pronounced dead at a local hospital and doctors were originally able to save her baby by emergency surgery. But just 24 hours later, the baby died at the hospital.

"He was taken out by an emergency C-section, and they had to pull him from life support last night and he passed around 9:15," Lariz said, identifying the child as baby Devontae.

MORE: Mother killed, twin boys injured by suspect in stolen car following East Bay pursuit, police say

Lariz said Zoglauer was driving eastbound on Blossom Hill in San Jose Tuesday night when she was involved in a crash with a stolen sedan.

Police said two men ran away from the scene immediately after the crash.

Lariz set up this GoFund Me Page, she was Zoglauer's family friend, roommate and runs the Play 'N' Learn preschool where they both worked.

"She's like a daughter, I mean she has been since she was little, she vacations with us, she does everything my girls do, my daughter's getting married, she's supposed to be in the wedding, we just got the outfit for baby Devontae to wear, he would have been a month old at the wedding," Lariz said.

MORE: Arrest made in hit-and-run that killed mother and dog, injured daughter, SJ police say

A group of loved ones gathered to mourn the sudden loss of the soon-to-be mother at the site of the crash on Wednesday evening.

"Every child in the school, knows April, loves April, the parents love her. All the staff loves her," Lariz said. "She's the person that if you're having a bad day, she's the one you send into the classroom to go help out."

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan told ABC7 no family should have to suffer this avoidable tragedy.

"Frankly, I'm also angry. We see far too many traffic-related accidents; best information we have is this involved a stolen vehicle and speeding," Mahan said.

As friends and family from different walks of Zoglauer's life continue to pay tribute at the growing memorial, one hope many share is that those responsible for the tragedy are brought to justice.

"I hope people understand that they took a very special life of somebody who meant a lot to a whole lot of people and they turn themselves in," she said.

If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live