Grandmother remembers her four-year-old killed in Evansville

Hannah Haerle and Seth Austin

26 mins ago

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – The grandmother of four-year-old Octavia Aquino is speaking out about the loss of the girl she called her “little ray of sunshine.”

“She was my grandchild, the sweetest, kindest, most cheerful little girl I’ve ever met,” said Linda Alvarez. “She had her whole life ahead of her.”

On Friday, Evansville police found Aquino unconscious after she was left in the care of Octavia’s mother’s boyfriend, 16-year-old Christian Gonzalez of Fort Wayne. Aquino died on Sunday.

“It’s like a nightmare. No one is ever ready to bury their child. Especially not when they are four years old.”

Eyewitness News had the opportunity to speak with Alvarez. You can watch Hannah Haerle’s report in the video player above.

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