Woman Kept GoFundMe Donations Intended For Family Of Murdered D.C. Victim

A woman in Maryland set up a GoFundMe campaign for the family of a murdered church worker but instead took the money for herself, D.C. officials said, according to local media.

Arlene Petty, 30, was charged with first-degree fraud for taking the donations that were supposed to go to the family Stephanie Goodloe, according to NBC 4 Washington. Goodloe was shot and killed in her home in Southeast D.C. in June 2016.

Local authorities said Petty kept the donations that were made between June 30, 2016 and March 29, 2017. Police said they arrested Petty last week.

GoFundMe said in a statement to CBS affiliate WUSA that the platform has a team that works around the clock to detect suspicious behavior.

“Campaigns with misuse make up less than one tenth of one percent of all campaigns,” GoFundMe said in a statement regarding the incident. “With that said, there are instances where misuse occurs. It is important to remember that our platform is backed by the GoFundMe Guarantee, which means users are fully protected and we guarantee the money goes to right place. We’ll work with the local law enforcement to ensure the family receives all of the money raised on their behalf.”

International Business Times has reached out to GoFundMe for comment.

GoFundMe Campaign Was For Murdered Domestic Abuse Victim

Police arrested Goodloe’s ex-boyfriend Donald Hairston, 49, and charged him with her murder. Hairston allegedly broke into Goodloe’s home after midnight and shot her to death. Police said she died at the scene.

Before Goodloe’s murder, the victim had applied for a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, according to NBC 4. She had also called police multiple times to report harassment and threats from Hairston. Goodloe and Hairston were supposed to go to court to review the request but was killed two days before.

Goodloe, who is survived by her daughter, reportedly worked at the Mount Gilead Baptist Church, and as a daycare director at the Christian Tabernacle Church of God in northwest D.C.

“We offer our prayers for the family of our former daycare Director Stephanie Goodloe who was taken from the world far to soon,” the Christian Tabernacle Church of God said in Facebook post in June 2016 after her murder. “We encourage you to love without restraint!”