The heartbroken aunt of the three-year-old girl who was horrifically burned alive in a chained shut car allegedly at the hands of her vindictive father, is speaking out.
Zoey Pereira's father allegedly strapped the three-year-old into her booster seat, chained shut the Audi A6 car with the girl inside, doused it with gasoline and set it ablaze in a Queens, New York park on Sunday night.
'I hope he f*****g dies. I’m just being honest. I hope he dies,' the girl's aunt said to the New York Post.
'He killed a baby. He burned her alive. He did that to her. That’s not even human, that’s an animal. That’s a coward,' another aunt echoed.
On Monday Zoey's death was ruled a homicide and her 39-year-old father Martin Pereira was named a prime suspect in her killing.
Zoey Pereira, three, died after she was shut into a burning car that was allegedly set on fire by her father in a Queens, New York park on Sunday night. Pictured above with her father 39-year-old Martin Pereira
'I hope he f******g dies. I’m just being honest. I hope he dies,' Pereira's aunt said on Pereira. Pereira pictured left with Zoey and the child's mother Cherone Coleman above
The aunts stood with Pereira's mother Cherone Coleman, 36, as they spoke out on Monday.
Coleman and Martin Pereira were embroiled in a bitter custody battle over the child at the time of her death.
They had been engaged but Coleman ended the engagement about a month ago, according to police.
'He was acting kind of crazy lately since the breakup,' her sister said on the split.
'And with his behavior, it did cross my mind that he may do something to harm my sister. But it did not cross my mind that he would do anything to harm a child, my niece, his daughter,' she added.
Sunday's tragedy was just the second time that Pereira was entrusted to care for his daughter.
Coleman revealed she always believed her estranged husband could harm her.
Moments before he burned Zoey alive, he allegedly told Coleman: 'You'll never see your daughter again'.
'I always thought he was going to hurt me,' Coleman said. 'I never thought he was going to hurt my daughter.'
Zoey Pereira, three, burned to death inside a car with its doors chained shut on Sunday night in Queens, New York. The girl's father, who was found hiding near the crime scene, shared the photo above of Zoey in a hair salon on Facebook hours before she was killed
Sources say Martin Pereira, 39, was taken into custody after Zoey's body was discovered but has not been charged in her death as of Monday
