PORTAGE, Wis. -- The sister of the woman found dead in a Portage back yard two weeks ago has said that she's stopped raising money for her abused nephew after police asked her to.

The Florida-based family of Tammie Garlin, who was killed and then buried behind the Portage house in which she was living, were raising money for the hospital care of Garlin's son. The 11-year-old boy was found in a closet of the same home and was apparently the victim of severe abuse. Four of the house's other occupants -- including his 15-year-old sister -- are charged in Garlin's death and abusing the boy.

Family members stopped fundraising efforts upon the request of the Portage police after they said those efforts might be misleading. The boy is under state care, and his medical costs at University of Wisconsin Hospital are being paid for, WISC-TV reported.

However, the family has picked up buckets stationed around the Florida town. Police said that the family said it was raising money for the boy's hospital care, but the family said that it will use the money for his post-hospital care.

Betty Garlin, Tammie's sister, said that she wants to help the boy.

"Regardless of what the lieutenant tells us, we're still going to help my nephew out. We're still gonna raise money for him no matter what," she said.

Meanwhile, a Portage-based fundraising effort, called Portage Care, is already under way. A campaign spearheaded by the Portage Daily Register has raised more than $10,000 along with some other gifts, like stuffed animals, a bed and a weekend stay at a Wisconsin Dells resort. Organizers said that the effort aims to help the boy as well as the three other children who were found in the home.

Jason Maddux, the Daily Register's editor, said that they're concerned about the confusion between the two fundraising efforts.

"We don't want to get in a situation where there's competing interest," he said. "There's a lot of worthwhile causes out there to give money to, but this was something that people came to us and asked us to do."

To donate to Portage Cares, organizers ask to send non-cash donations to the newspaper. Monetary donations can be sent in care of Portage Cares to four Portage-area banks.