GRETNA- It was an emotional evening as hundreds of balloons were released by the friends and family of Stasy Charles, who passed away last week.

"This is one of the hardest things I've ever been through. I never imagined that I would lose one of my closest friends," Charles' friend Maci Duplessis said.

According to police, Charles was found lying in the parking lot of her apartment complex with several stab wounds last Thursday. She died during surgery.

Police say the man responsible is her ex-boyfriend, Steven Heinrich Jr., who police say crashed his vehicle and set himself on fire. He died the following day.

Charles filed a restraining order against Heinrich just last month.

"This is just heartbreaking, and we should not be here right now. This should not be happening. I feel like the judicial system failed her and they failed her friends and her family because this could've been prevented," Duplessis said.

Duplessis says she and Charles met while attending college together. She describes her as a very happy and bubbly person.

"Just a beautiful soul. Just someone that you always wanted to be around, someone that had a beautiful smile and always made you smile, especially when you needed it the most," Duplessis said.

Charles's boss, Deirdre Catalano, says she had just purchased her first car.

"You would've never thought she was going through all of that. She always kept her head up high. She did not let it get her down. She continued pushing forward, and her goals were to go to school," she said.

Now, her family and friends are left behind.

"I hope you protect me and guard me. I'm glad to have you as my angel. I miss you," Charles's friend Aniyah Adams said.