Teen found dead in rental home owned by congresswoman’s husband was a victim of domestic violence, mom alleges

“My daughter didn’t deserve this,” Elenie Ocasio said of her daughter, Yoseliani Marte, whose death is under investigation

NEED TO KNOW

• A teenager found dead in Boston has been identified by her mom as 18-year-old Yoseliani Marte
• The home where Marte was found is owned by Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s husband, Conan Harris, though a spokesperson for Pressley clarified it’s a rental property and the congresswoman is not the landlord
• Police have not named any suspects or made arrests as the investigation into Marte’s death continues

The mom of the teen who was found dead in a Boston rental home owned by Rep. Ayanna Pressley‘s husband is speaking out.

Officers responded to a home in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood just after 1:50 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 18, after receiving a call to “investigate a person,” Boston Police Department Officer James Moccia told PEOPLE.

Upon arriving at the scene, police reclassified the call as a death investigation, according to Moccia.

“This death investigation is currently being handled by the BPD Homicide Unit,” he added.

Amid the open investigation, Elenie Ocasio identified the teen as her 18-year-old daughter, Yoseliani Marte, whom she claimed was a victim of domestic violence, according to local Fox affiliate WFXT.

Ocasio claims she knows who killed her daughter, although she has not identified him. Police have not publicly identified any suspects or announced any arrests in connection to Marte’s death.

“This coward killed my baby. He put a gun to her head, took my baby in that house and left her to die,” Elenie told WFXT.

An autopsy was conducted Sunday, July 19, at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Boston, per local CBS affiliate WBZ-TV.

The cause of death was determined to be a single gunshot wound, while the manner of death remains undetermined pending additional forensic testing, WBZ reported.

Ocasio said she does not believe her daughter was suicidal and expressed confidence that the circumstances surrounding her death will eventually be revealed.

“My daughter didn’t deserve this. My daughter did not deserve this, and it’s all going to come out to light. Everything’s gonna come out,” she told the news outlet.

A spokesperson for Pressley told PEOPLE that the home where the death occurred is a rental property and that the congresswoman is not its personal landlord.

“The Congresswoman extends her deepest condolences to the impacted family,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

According to a deed and other property records filed in Suffolk County and obtained by the Boston Herald, WCVB and CBS Boston, the home is owned by Conan Harris, the husband of Pressley, who represents Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District.

Harris has experience in both government and the private sector, having served as a senior public safety adviser at Boston City Hall before starting his own consulting firm in 2019.

Pressley, meanwhile, has become one of the most prominent members of the progressive congressional “Squad,” a group that has counted Reps. Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib among its members.

A memorial of candles and balloons now marks the sidewalk outside the home where Marte was found. Friends gathered there Monday, July 20, to honor her memory, per WFXT.

“I’m in shock. I have not seen my baby. I have not seen her laid out yet. It has not hit me yet. I’m not grieving yet,” Ocasio said. “I’m hoping and I’m praying, and I’ll do my best to get justice for my daughter.”

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In a GoFundMe created following Marte’s death, her family described her as “someone so young, with so many dreams, hopes, and milestones still ahead of her,” adding that “domestic violence has taken a beautiful young life far too soon.”

The Boston Police Department and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Tuesday, July 21.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Read the original article on People