Funeral held for 4-year-old Liliana Merdy, 1 of 3 children allegedly drowned by their mother Erin Merdy on Coney Island
NEW YORK - A funeral was held Monday for one of three children police say were drowned at a Coney Island beach by their mother.
CBS2's Natalie Duddridge spoke to 4-year-old Liliana Merdy's grieving father.
Pink and silver balloons were released into the sky for Liliana outside of Caribe Funeral Home on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn.
She was remembered by her father as a spirited young girl.
"Lily mainly just wanted to dance. She did ballet, rhythm, gymnastics," her father Shamir Small said. "She was loved by all of her family members. Contrary to what happened, she was loved by her mother. What she did was monstrous, but she herself wasn't a monster."
Liliana's mother, 30-year-old Erin Merdy, was arraigned on murder charges in the drowning deaths of her three children, 3-month-old Oliver, 4-year-old Liliana, and 7-year-old Zachary.
The children all lived with ther mother, relatives say, but had different fathers.
"I loved Zachary's smile, especially his dimples," Small said. "He was also loved by his father, his father in the military... he made sure when he comes to New York, he is seeing his son."
Sources say Merdy was suffering from post-partum depression and was behind on rent payments. She continues to undergo a psychiatric evaluation in the hospital.
"We don't use this as an opportunity to condemn, or to speak evil. This is a situation in which no one could fathom, no one could understand," said pastor Heston Williams.
After Monday, Liliana's father says he doesn't want to think about the way in which his daughter passed, but in how she lived.
"Try to remember them for what they were," Small said.
To keep Liliana close, he had a locket made in purple, her favorite color.
"I want a piece of her. This time she'll always be with me," Small said.
He plans to get a butterfly tattoo in her honor, so he's always reminded of his daughter, flying high.
Funerals for the two other children, Zachary and Oliver, are being held at different locations.
Merdy's next court date is Tuesday at Brooklyn criminal court.