By Christine Barcia and Mark Rosman
Staff Writers
FREEHOLD – Friends and family members were stunned by the accidental death of a Freehold Borough teenager who died on Jan. 22.
Waleed Warren, 17, who was a junior at Freehold High School, died in an accident at his home, according to Carol Stockel-Acosta, whose son, Eddie, was close friends with Waleed.
Stockel-Acosta established an online GoFundMe page, the Waleed Warren Memorial Fund, which raised more than $9,000 for Waleed’s family.
“Waleed Warren meant many things to many people. He was a brother, a son, a grandson and uncle, and a friend to all who had the privilege to meet him. … I believe he was an old soul,” she said. “He just wanted to help his grandmother, mom and dad, and of course his sister Maliyah. Waleed gave his all to everyone, he asked nothing in return. He was loved, he was an exceptional young man and never fed into teenage drama.
“I had the privilege to really get to know Waleed when he was in sixth grade. I would pick up my son from the Freehold Intermediate School on my day off and we went to a late lunch at Wendy’s. Soon it turned into the fantastic four: my son, Eddie Acosta, Matthew Walters, Alahondro Rufino, (and Waleed) … we all piled into my car … Cherished memories never fade because a loved one is never really gone. He will live in our hearts forever,” Stockel-Acosta said.
Rebecca Morton, the communications and district projects coordinator for the Freehold Regional High School District, said, “Everyone at the Freehold Regional High School District is saddened by the tragic loss of Waleed Warren. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones at this difficult time.”
Waleed played football and wrestled at Freehold High School. A shoulder injury ended his football career during his sophomore year, but he remained close to the team, Coach Dave Ellis said.
“He was a very nice kid,” Ellis said. “He was still friends with the (football) players. He was a model teammate, hard-working. He was like that in school.”
Although Waleed was a quiet person, the coach said, it did not prevent the young man from being influential at Freehold.
“He really made an impact on a lot of people,” Ellis said.
According to an obituary posted on the Higgins Memorial Home website, Waleed resided in Freehold his entire life. He was was an active member of the Faith Tabernacle Church, Freehold. Waleed is survived by his parents, Glenn Warren and Crystal Brown Warren; his grandparents, Clifford and Dorothy Rodney, and William Hart and Carmel Brown; and his sister, Maliyah Rodney.
News Transcript staff writer Tim Morris contributed to this article.