Family members and the community are remembering a 2-year-old girl whose life was cut short in Pembroke Pines this past May. Police say the child was killed by her own father.

There was a candlelight vigil Saturday for Melody Alana Rose Duran at Hollywood North Beach Park.

Her father, Jeronimo Duran is accused in the brutal murder of his daughter back in May. Pembroke Pines Police say the child had a large cut across her neck.

An arrest report says detectives found a knife on the kitchen floor that had blood on the handle and blade. The report says Duran's grandmother walked in the house and saw Duran lying on top of his daughter and yelled at him get off, what are you doing?

Court records show the child's mother previously described Duran's behavior as erratic, aggressive, violent and dangerous, but the two agreed to shared custody of the girl.

Melody's mother Mona Clarke was surrounded by family and friends Saturday as they celebrated her daughter's life. Melody would've turned three Saturday.

"It's just been very difficult not having her around," Clarke said. "My daughter was my world. She was very sweet, very vibrant, caring."

Families Against Court Travesties was also at the candlelight. They're a nonprofit organization that supports families affected by what they describe as injustices in the family court system. They want to draw attention to the need for reforms to prevent similar tragedies. They also want to highlight what they call critical failures in mental health care and the family court system.

"She's devastated, the system failed her and her daughter and it's unfortunate, she was trying to work with the system and secure the safety of her daughter," Maysel Bickham with Families Against Court Travesties said.

Duran says she feels the court system let her down.

"I feel angry about it," Duran said. "Things could have been done differently."

Duran is charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse.