The coroner's office confirmed earlier on Wednesday that it was the body of Nevaeh Gallegos that was found in a ravine near 11th and Perry on Monday.
One of the mourners on Wednesday night was Rose Segovia. She did not know Nevaeh, but lives close to where she was found.
"I felt like I had to be here. It's so mean what they did to this baby. No child deserves this," said Segovia.
Segovia brought along her 9-year-old daughter, Blanca.
"They did something so bad to her. I would have liked to be her friend. It makes me sad," said Blanca Segovia.
Rebecca Borrego was also at the vigil. She is friends with Miriam Gallegos, Nevaeh's mother and they used to have their kids play together often.
"It is amazing to see so many people here, especially people who didn't know her. I think people are drawn here because she's just a child who now won't grow up like she deserved to. People share the grief of a life cut short," said Borrego.
The vigil was organized by the Set Free Church of Denver, which is 50 yards from the ravine.
Many family members were also at the vigil, but declined to speak to the media.
"It means a lot that people are here to pay their respects," said Borrego. "She was such a happy child. Just seeing her would always make my day. She was just 3. She didn't deserve to die. It makes me angry."
Last Friday afternoon, Denver Police say they were dispatched to the 1000 block of Cherokee after 20-year-old Miriam Gallegos falsely reported her child had been kidnapped.
Police soon learned that her boyfriend, 22-year-old Angel Ray Montoya, called Gallegos on Friday at work, asking her to come home. When she got there, her daughter was not breathing, police say.
Instead of calling an ambulance, police say Gallegos and Montoya put the girl in a plastic bag and Montoya disposed of the body.
After almost three full days of searching, Nevaeh's body was found.
The Denver District Attorney's Office filed for and was granted a motion to allow for more investigative time before filing charges. Charges would have normally been filed by the end of the day Wednesday. The official charges are expected by either the end of the week or early next week.
Gallegos is being held in the Denver County Jail on a $500,000 bond for false reporting, accessory to a crime and child abuse resulting in death.
Montoya is being held in the Denver County Jail without bond for first-degree murder.
Both Montoya and Gallegos are being held in "administrative segregation," meaning they can't be around other prisoners because of the nature of their charges and the extensive media coverage the case has received. Police say it's a security measure.
9NEWS has confirmed that Montoya has been investigated for alleged abuse of Nevaeh before – including in 2006 by both Denver Police and Denver Human Services. However, sources tell 9NEWS there wasn't enough physical evidence to prove sexual abuse and the girl's mother did not cooperate with investigators. Charges could not be filed in the case.
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