A 39-year-old Long Island man has been charged with killing his 3-year-old daughter by burning her to death in a car after chaining the doors closed so first responders couldn't get to her late Sunday night.
According to the New York Daily News, the unidentified man was in the midst of a custody fight over the girl, identified as Zoey Pereira, and left her to die in the burning Audi before fleeing the scene.
The report states that firefighters who arrived on the scene were unable to open the back doors of the car where the child was strapped into a car seat, due to her father's actions.
The Daily Beast is reporting that "New York news outlets that the doors were chained from the inside," and "two BBQ-grill-size propane tanks were found near the car."
According to the Daily News, the father ran from the car as it burst into flames, and was on fire himself as he jumped into a nearby pond, where he was later found by police who has him transported to a nearby hospital to care for his injuries.
Police are charging him with homicide as they attempt to piece together what happened.
