Community mourns Angelia Dominguez

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Residents of Seaford, Wantagh, Hicksville, and other communities awoke to tragic news on Jan. 8. Angelia Dominguez, 16, was killed in a car crash in Old Brookville, with three other teenagers being hospitalized.

According to detectives, Dominguez was driving a car with three teenage boys aged 14, 15, and 16, when she lost control and hit into a tree on Chicken Valley Road. Dominguez was pronounced dead on the scene, with the three unidentified males being taken to the hospital. One of them was listed as in critical condition. They are believed to be students at Hicksville High School.

Seaford and surrounding communities were quick to respond to this unfortunate news.

Rita Maffetone Matalone, administrator of the Facebook group “Friends of Wantagh-Seaford NY,” posted in the group sharing the news with all members. The post received over 100 reactions and over 50 comments of residents expressing their condolences to Dominguez’s family and friends after her untimely passing.

Two separate GoFundMe campaigns were set up to assist Dominguez’s family through these unexpected hard times. One of them was set up by Dominguez’s friend, Isabelle Santos.

“Angelia was my best friend,” Santos wrote on the GoFundMe page. “She was a beautiful soul taken too young. She will be greatly missed. Please find it in your heats to help me raise money for the Dominguez family, they are going through a great loss that no family should ever have to go through.”

The other GoFundMe was organized by the Li, Calixto, and Payea families, all based out of Seaford.

“Angelia’s passing has broken many hearts,” the organizers wrote. “She leaves behind her loving parents - mother Jenny, stepfather Tom - sister Bella, and brothers William and Thomas, along with a large number of cousins, aunts and uncles who were like her second parents. A close-knit family that is now grief-stricken and forever broken.”

Both GoFundMe campaigns reached over $10,000 in donations within a week of their creation.

Seaford High School took action immediately, sending out a letter on Jan 8 both to mourn Angelia Dominguez and to offer their support to any students struggling in the aftermath of her death. The school went out of its way to reach out to students who knew her well, as well as activated their Crisis Intervention Plan for the week of Jan. 9. The Crisis Intervention Plan consisted of school counselors and psychologists ready to talk to students until 3:20 p.m. each afternoon. The school also honored Dominguez and her family during the morning announcements.

“There are no words that we can share that can console the grief that Angelia’s family and friends must be experiencing at this time,” Nichole Schnabel, Seaford High School’s principal, wrote in the letter. “As part of Angelia’s community and extended family, we will do whatever we can to provide support and resources considering the horrible tragedy.”