Zoey Pereira, 3, died after she was strapped into a burning car that was allegedly set on fire by her father in a New York park on May 5
Martin Pereira, 39, has been charged with murder and also faces counts of arson and reckless endangerment
Pereira and Zoey’s mother, Cherone Coleman, 36, twice engaged, but now estranged, were in bitter custody battle over their daughter
A judge had given Pereira permission to watch his daughter that weekend, marking the second time he was entrusted to care for her
Pereira and Coleman had broken off their engagement last month
Pereira who was found fleeing from the car covered in flames, suffered second and third degree burns
Records show that Martin has a history of violence and was arrested once for criminal contempt and twice for aggravated harassment against a different woman in 2013
Zoey Pereira, [right], 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 . Her dad Martin Pereira, [photo], has been charged with her murder and reckless endangerment
A New York dad who allegedly strapped his three-year-old daughter into the booster seat of a car he then torched the vehicle has been arrested on murder charges, NYPD sources said Friday.
Martin Pereira, 39, from Valley Stream, Long Island, was also charged with arson and reckless endangerment for the horrific May 5 incident in Queens that left Zoey Pereira dead, police said.
Pereira allegedly strapped his three-year-old daughter into her seat, chained the Audi A6 car shut with the girl inside, doused it with gasoline and set it ablaze in a park in Queens, NY.
Zoey’s death was later ruled a homicide and her father, Martin Pereira, was named a prime suspect in her killing.
Martin Pereira, 39, from Valley Stream, Long Island, was also charged with arson and reckless endangerment for the horrific May 5 incident in Queens that left Zoey Pereira dead, police said.
Pereira allegedly strapped his three-year-old daughter into her seat, chained the Audi A6 car shut with the girl inside, doused it with gasoline and set it ablaze in a park in Queens, NY.
Zoey’s death was later ruled a homicide and her father, Martin Pereira, was named a prime suspect in her killing.
Murder suspect Martin Pereira [left], and Zoey’s mother Cherone Colema, [right], were embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their daughter [center], at the time of her death
The girl’s mother Cherone Colema, 36, and Martin Pereira were embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their daughter at the time of her death.
They had been engaged but Coleman ended the engagement about a month ago, according to police.
Martin had weekend visitation rights and picked up the child from the mother on Saturday, police sources said.
He later called her to discuss their relationship, but she told him to get lost.
On Sunday, Martin phoned one of Coleman’s cousins in California and threatened to hurt the baby, prompting the cousin to call Coleman around 8 p.m. to warn her, sources said.
The frantic mom called police in Nassau County, where Martin lives, then tried the NYPD, sources said. Coleman was at the 113th Precinct station when calls about the fire came in.
Martin had weekend visitation rights and picked up the child from the mother on Saturday, police sources said.
He later called her to discuss their relationship, but she told him to get lost.
On Sunday, Martin phoned one of Coleman’s cousins in California and threatened to hurt the baby, prompting the cousin to call Coleman around 8 p.m. to warn her, sources said.
The frantic mom called police in Nassau County, where Martin lives, then tried the NYPD, sources said. Coleman was at the 113th Precinct station when calls about the fire came in.
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 the alleged burning, he reportedly 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.’
Martin Pereira was taken into custody after Zoey’s body was recovered from a burning vehicle. He’d suffered second and third degree burns. Father and daughter are seen here in one of the photos Martin posted on FacebookSurrounded by grieving relatives and friends at her home in Springfield Gardens, Coleman said hours after Zoey’s death: ‘My daughter was perfect. She was loving, always smiling, and oh so caring. She was my only child, and I can’t have any more.’
The mother said she had tried to modify their visitation agreement to block Pereira from seeing the girl as he became increasingly vindictive, but the court ruled against her.
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Pereira was subsequently allowed to watch Zoey over the weekend with the court’s blessing. It was only the second time he’d been entrusted with the young girl since he and Coleman split.
Coleman said she wishes she had disobeyed the judge and blocked Pereira from taking her daughter.
‘I should’ve just kept her and gone to jail,’ she said Monday.
Describing a call with Pereira on Sunday morning, Coleman said: ‘Just before he burned my daughter he called saying crazy things.
‘I couldn’t even understand some of them, but he said: “Do I have your attention now, bitch? I got your attention now, bitch. You’re never going to see your daughter again.”‘
The Audi A6 Zoey was trapped in is seen above after emergency crews extinguished the blaze 
Heat from the blaze melted the door handle, which allowed firefighters to open the door and grab the girl
A gas canister was found in the backseat of the car and another was discovered nearbyPolice responded to reports of a car burning in the middle of the street by Baisley Boulevard and 155th Street on May 5. The Audi’s back doors had been chained shut, but the heat from the blaze melted the handle, which allowed firefighters to open the door and grab the girl.
Pereira was found running away from the car, covered in flames. A Good Samaritan stopped to help him put out the fire .
Authorities found Pereira hiding in Baisley Park Pond a few hundred feet from the car.
A police said ‘The only reason officers found [Martin], was that a piece of his clothing was on fire. He was stripped down to his underwear.’
Pereira was treated for second- and third-degree burns before being taken into custody.
Victim: Zoey Pereira, 3, burned to death inside a car with its doors chained shut on May 5 in Queens, New York. Her 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 killedMartin has a history of violence and was arrested once for criminal contempt and twice for aggravated harassment against a different woman in 2013.
Hours before Zoey died, Pereira shared a photo of the youngster sitting in what appears to be a hair salon on Facebook.
He had previously posted several photos of himself with Zoey alone and with her mother.
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