PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Vanessa Volz, the CEO and president of Sojourner House, describes the recent death of 18-year-old Kylee Monteiro as an unnecessary tragedy.

"This kind of tragedy really can be prevented, and we should not allow it to happen in our society," she told 12 News.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office announced this week that Monteiro's 22-year-old boyfriend, Gregory Groom of Rehoboth, has been charged with her murder after she was reported missing nearly two weeks ago. Monteiro's family said she was 11 weeks pregnant at the time.

Volz said the most common cause of death for a pregnant woman in the United States is homicide. Research from Harvard found the deadly pattern is linked to intimate partner violence and firearms.

Sojourner House, a Providence-based

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