The tragic death of a New Jersey teenage girl who died suddenly in her sleep during a sleepover with her soccer team over the weekend is not suspicious, investigators have said.
An official cause of death for Kara Lemanowicz, a beloved 14-year-old Voorhees girl, however, has not yet been determined. Investigators say they believe a medical issue likely killed the teen, who was found dead in a house on Barnsboro Road in Mantua Township Saturday morning.
Kara and her teammates from a local soccer club had spent the night at the home.
Friends and relatives have started a GoFundMe page to help pay for her funeral expenses.
Kara's sudden death has rocked the girl's tight-knit South Jersey community.
Hundreds packed the center of a local football field Saturday night, candles in hand, to memorialize the teen.
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Jamie McGroarty, head coach of the Eastern High School girls soccer team, knew Lemanowicz since she was a child. He called her death "a heart wrenching blow to all that knew her."
"She was a goofy, fun-loving kid who always was smiling," he said. Lemanowicz was set to play on the high school team as a freshman.
"She always played the game with a fun loving attitude and absolutely loved the game," McGroarty said.
Police said the death did not appear to be suspicious and is believed to have been caused by a medical condition. The investigation is ongoing.
Lemanowicz was being remembered by friends as an "angel" in social media posts. A tweet from the Eastern Girls Soccer team said she "went to sleep with a smile and among friends."
