Mourners pay respects to Deyan Perisic

MONTREAL, Que. – Friends and family gathered at the Aeterna Funeral home in north-central Montreal today to mourn for a 10-year-old innocent victim in the tangle of a custody battle.

They also came out to support Vera Vucerakovich, mother of Deyan Perisic, who police in Texas say was killed by his father, Predrag Perisic, 55, this month.

Perisic has been charged with murder in connection with Deyan’s death, and faces an attempted murder charge for severely injuring his sister Danyela, 12.

"It’s beyond belief and imagination, there’s no words for it," said one woman, who declined to give her name, as she arrived at the funeral home late Wednesday afternoon.

Another man, who also asked for anonymity, said Vucerakovitch had been grieving all day, gathering strength for Thursday’s funeral.

It is to be held at 10:30 a.m. at Evangelismos Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church, on St. Roch St., in Park Extension.

Looking devastated, Vucerakovich met with a reporter but was reluctant to discuss the circumstances that led to her kids being shot.According to court documents, Perisic and Vucerakovich were locked in a court battle over child custody. They had lived in Texas together, but she returned to live here and was awarded custody in Quebec Superior Court on Oct. 26.

Perisic was supposed to send the children back to live with their mother on Nov. 3, but did not. He was then charged with interference with child custody.

On Dec. 13, when police arrived at Perisic’s home in Coldspring, Tex., to serve an arrest warrant, they heard gunshots and found the injured children.

Vucerakovich said she plants to return to Texas where her daughter is being treated for her injuries, hoping for a full recovery.

Her feelings about the loss of Deyan were written on the strains of her face.

The newspaper obituary referred to "our angel Deyan" who Thursday "will be laid to rest in God’s loving arms."

Among those mourning his passing were "his incredibly brave and amazing sister Danyela," it said.

Deyan will be sorely missed by "numerous friends, teachers, teammates and all those who were blessed to have been touched by his presence," it continued.

But their grief pales compared to that of his mother, who penned this message to Deyan as part of the obituary:

"My son, my little man, as long as we are all here you will be forever in our hearts and in our lives.

"Be peaceful my boy. Take care of us my angel."