A 35-year-old mother of four who was reported missing last week was found dead in a shallow grave in a Queens waterfront park, authorities confirmed Monday. Seraphina Pereira’s body was discovered in Rockaway Community Park near Beach 58th Street and Almeda Avenue in the Rockaways around 9:40 p.m. Saturday, five days after she disappeared from her nearby residence on Beach 54th Street.

An autopsy performed by the city Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Pereira died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and torso. Police have classified the case as a homicide.

Following her disappearance on October 19 at approximately 11 a.m., Pereira’s family launched an extensive search, distributing flyers throughout the neighborhood. Her sister, Davonna Gray, who traveled from Albany to assist in the search, described the family’s devastation. “We were determined to find her,” Gray said, adding that Pereira was especially fond of the beach, which made the discovery at the park all the more painful.

Pereira was a mother to four children: a 14-year-old son with disabilities who lives in a facility in Yonkers, as well as three children aged 13, 4, and 3 who resided with her in the Rockaways. Gray described Pereira as a vibrant individual who enjoyed dancing and exploring new things, often with her children by her side.

Family members indicated that Pereira had been in the process of ending a relationship with the father of her two youngest children at the time of her disappearance. She had faced personal challenges in recent years, including the loss of the father of her two oldest children to a heart attack about six years ago and the death of their mother four years prior.

In connection with the investigation, police took a person of interest into custody Monday evening. Earlier in the day, law enforcement had responded to reports that the individual was barricaded inside Pereira’s apartment, but the residence was found empty. Authorities later apprehended the person nearby. No charges have been filed as of Monday night, and police have not disclosed further details about the individual or the motive.

The investigation remains ongoing as officials seek additional information surrounding the circumstances of Pereira’s death.