PEORIA, AZ (AZ Family) — A Valley family is now devastated after the death of 2-year-old Gabriel, who He was allegedly murdered by his own stepfatherHein Lwin, 26 years old.

They are not only dealing with the loss of the child but also the loss of the man they thought they knew.

“Everyone is grieving and no one wants to talk to each other. “The whole world is falling apart because of the monster,” said a grieving family member who preferred to remain anonymous.

Lwin currently faces a charge of first-degree murder.

Gabriel’s loved ones told Arizona’s family it’s a step toward justice.

“He needs to pay for what he did. “It has destroyed our family,” the relative said.

Court documents say Peoria police were called to a home late last month for reports that a child was choking.

When officers arrived, they noticed Gabriel had visible marks on his neck and was unresponsive.

He was rushed to the hospital. His loved ones said Gabriel was in very bad condition.

“He no longer looked like Gabriel when he was in the hospital,” the relative said.

Unfortunately, Gabriel did not survive and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Court documents showed Lwin admitted to hitting his stepson several times when questioned by police.

“It’s a monster because how could it hurt a 2-year-old baby who doesn’t even know how to say when he wants something? “He doesn’t even know how to say yes,” said the relative.

The police report details again that Lwin talked about hurting the baby.

When told by police that Gabriel would not survive, Lwin was quoted as saying, “I deserve everything that awaits me.”

“We just want justice for Gabriel. We know that he is with the Lord now, but we want to do him justice and we also want to be at peace,” a loved one told Gabriel.

Lwin has bail set at $1 million.

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