Her ex-boyfriend is now in custody for the crime.
Loved ones are trying to raise awareness for domestic violence.
"This is for our beautiful angel. Because her light now is in every single one of us. Her light is in her four children," Stephanie McGraw with We All Really Matter said.
Light from candles illuminated the cold night in memory of Carmen Yadira Lopez outside her apartment building.
Her family members are emotionally crushed, but took comfort in a vigil that was meant to give them strength as they say goodbye to a beloved mom of four boys and also shed light on domestic violence.
"When no means no, it means no. But, justice for my sister. That's all I want," Lopez's sister Lucy Lopez said.
Lopez was attacked in the hallway of this building, police said.
Her ex, Luis Marquez, is charged with murder and accused of waiting more than two hours for her to get home Monday morning. Police said he stabbed her more than 20 times as she pleaded for him to stop.
Her aunt says she didn't deserve to die that way and if they had only known anything about her accused killer, they would have done everything to protect her.
Family friend Arly Ureña says justice would mean life behind bars for Marquez.
She remembers seeing him once at a club, trying to get Lopez's attention.
"The way he was looking at her, it was giving like, 'you're my girl, come here, come here,' and she was like, 'No," Ureña said.
"We've got to expose domestic violence for what it is. It is a crime, not a shame. And we know that silence hides violence, so we've got to continue to talk about it," McGraw said.
The Harlem-based domestic violence awareness organization W.A.R.M is helping cover Lopez's funeral expenses.
Lopez's family has set up a GoFundMe to help her four sons.
They say anyone who may be in fear for their safety with a partner can contact the W.A.R.M Crisis Hotline: 917-736-1046 / @warmnyc.
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