'It was a roller coaster.' Daughter of Freehold mother killed by ex-boyfriend speaks out to help others
Roman Romanovskiy, of South Brunswick, is charged with murder and two counts of child endangerment in the death of 38-year-old Lauren Saldana, of Freehold.
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The family of the Freehold mother killed in South Brunswick last week by her 41-year-old ex-boyfriend is sharing her story as they move forward.
Roman Romanovskiy, of South Brunswick, is charged with murder and two counts of child endangerment in the death of 38-year-old Lauren Saldana, of Freehold.
“My mom, she struggled a lot throughout her life, but she always did what was best for her kids,” said Saldana’s oldest daughter, Madison. “There was nothing else in the world that was important to her.”
Wearing her mom's necklace, Madison Saldana told News 12 about the night she found out.
“I came out and I saw the cops, and I expected something bad, but not like that,” Saldana said. “Never, ever would I have expected to hear that.”
RELATED: South Brunswick man accused of killing woman inside home
Police told Madison Saldana that her mother was found dead at Romanovskiy’s South Brunswick home. The two have a 5-year-old son. Lauren Saldana had just had another child three weeks earlier.
“It was not a healthy relationship,” said Saldana. “It was a rollercoaster. They broke up, they tried to stay away from each other, but in the end, she always wanted to be with her son.”
Romanovskiy is charged with murder and two counts of child endangerment. Saldana says she still doesn’t know exactly what happened inside the house last Thursday.
“I'm not surprised that he was capable of something like that,” Saldana said. “I want him to look me in the eye and tell me why he did what he did. There was no way in this world that she deserved something like that.”
Saldana says her young brothers are safe with a family friend while she fights for their custody. For now, she hopes that coming forward will help others.
“I just wish that anybody could have helped her to make a better decision than to be with him,” Saldana said. “I just hope that people understand that this could very well be them one day if they don’t get out or seek help.”
Police continue to investigate. Romanovskiy is at the Middlesex County Jail without bail.
To access the GoFundMe that has been set up for the Saldana family, CLICK HERE.
