Mom of Six-Year-Old Girl Shot Dead on Mother's Day Says She Will 'Never Forgive'

A grieving mother has expressed her heartache after her 6-year-old daughter was allegedly shot and killed by a man she knew.

Saryah Perez died after the car she was in was struck with several bullets near NW 24th and West Commerce streets in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday night.

Her mother, Kassandra Mendoza, said she had taken the 6-year-old to a car club gathering when an argument broke out, resulting in the suspect opening fire as he drove away in a car, hitting Saryah.

San Antonio Police later arrested Andrew Ray Elizondo in connection with the shooting and he is facing a charge of capital murder.

Speaking at the scene of the shooting the following day, a distraught Mendoza cried out how she will "never forgive Andrew" while being consoled.

"Never! He has kids of his own," she said, via KSAT. "How could he do this to my baby?"

Mendoza also talked about her daughter, telling those at the scene how the girl "loved everybody."

"She loved her brother. She loved being with her parents, her grandparents."

Mendoza added: "They did this. They took her from me. Why? She wasn't doing anything wrong. She was enjoying herself."

The mother also desperately urged others to end gun violence in the wake of her daughter's killing.

"Put guns down! Stop using them. They took my baby because of a gunshot," she said. "Stop using guns. Put them down, please!"

San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus posted a picture of him with Mendoza on Twitter after Elizondo was arrested on suspicion of Saryah's murder.

"To hug a mother grieving her 6-year-old baby girl the day after Mother's Day," McManus tweeted. "The violence has to stop."

Speaking to News 4 San Antonio about the suspect, McManus added: "We've been through this before where there have been young children killed as a result of a reckless act by an individual, in this case Mr Elizondo, the accused, and I don't have and I don't know that any of us have, I don't have words that adequately describe the atrocity that was committed here by Mr Elizondo.

"Another young life lost, another family grief stricken by that loss and we'll see this case through the DA's office and eventually the courts."

Elsewhere, a GoFundMe has been set up by the family of the 6-year-old to help cover the funeral costs.

"My niece was taken from us at a very early age. We are asking for help from donations to be able to give her a proper send off," a description on the page reads.

San Antonio Police have been contacted for further comment.