By . Daily Mail Reporter . The daughter of a Venezuelan beauty queen and her British husband who were murdered in an armed highway robbery has started school in Orlando, Florida after moving into the care of her grandfather. Monica Spear Mootz and Thomas Berry were killed in cold blood after being robbed when their car broke down on the Puerto-Cabello to Valencia highway on January 6. Now their 5-year-old daughter Maya, who was in the car with them at the time of the attack, has started school in America just days before the one-month anniversary of their death. New horizons: Monica Spear posted this photo of she and her daughter Maya just days before the fatal attack that left her and her ex-husband dead . Heartbreaking: Monica Spear Mootz, 29, and Thomas Berry, 39, had an amicable split a year earlier but took vacations together with their daughter- including the one they were on when they were killed . Maya was in their car with them and suffered a glancing wound to her leg during the robbery. She was treated in hospital but did not require any surgery. Starting over: One of Monica Spear's former co-stars posted a video of Maya singing in honor of her new start at a Florida school on Monday . Mr Berry's British-born parents moved to Venezuela 30 years ago, while Ms Spear's parents live in Florida. There was a question of which grandparents would be awarded custody of the child, because it is typically granted to the maternal grandparents but Venezuelaâ€™s tense relationship with America made the issue even more fraught. 'Maya is my priority now and I need the Venezuelan government to help me obtain her guardianship', Monica's father Rafael Spear stated at the time of the couple's joint funeral. 'We have an agreement with the Berrys that the best for Maya is to be outside Venezuela,' he said, even though the Berrys also speculated publicly that it may be wise for her to remain in the same area as she was familiar with. The confirmation that she was allowed out of the country and put under the care of her grandfather Rafael Spear comes via Twitter, as one of her mother's former co-stars posted a message congratulating the girl on her first day of school in Florida. Monica Spear lived in Venezuela for a few years as a child but their family moved to Florida, and she eventually graduated from the University of Central Florida. She was named Miss Venezuela in 2004 and then came in fourth place at the Miss Universe competition the next year. Tragic: Rafael Spear, 61, told MailOnline: 'Maya is my priority now and I need the Venezuelan government to help Rafael Spear, 61, told MailOnline: 'Maya is my priority now and I need the Venezuelan government to help me obtain her guardianship' Crowds: Huge numbers of people turned up to the cemetery to pay their respects after the joint funeral. The deaths sparked protests and convulsed the crime-ridden country . She had moved back to Venezuela in . recent years to star in one of the country's top soap operas, including . 'Forbidden Passions'. Ms Spear's family had asked her to move to the U.S. with them after she was robbed six times, but the model refused. Her . co-star from the telenovela was Jencarlos Canela, who wrote in Spanish . on Twitter: 'Today you had your first day of school in Orlando, Welcome . my Maya Bella.' That tweet, . which was posted Monday, has since been deleted but he also posted a . video of the 5-year-old singing on her birthday. That link remains live. Beauty: Monica Spear Mootz represented Venezuela in the 54th annual Miss Universe competition in 2005 . Ms Spear with Maya, who was born in October 2008. The little girl was shot in the leg during the attack . His loves: Mr Berry, with his daughter Maya, 5, at left and with Monica at right. She was injured with a minor cut on her leg during the attack and is now in the care of her maternal grandparents in Florida . Better times: Some friends thought that they were going to announce that they were back together after the January vacation (seen at their wedding in 2008, the same year that their daughter was born) The couple had reportedly separated a year before their death but remained close and went on vacations together to spend time with their daughter. They were on one such trip touring the country during the week leading up to the attack and their friends thought that it may lead to a reunion. Police have attributed the fatal attack to the disruption of the country's moral fiber as a result of the dramatic telenovelas like the one that Ms Spears starred in. Seven people have been arrested in connection to the shooting.
Thomas Berry and Monica Spear Mootz were murdered in Venezuela on January 6 and their daughter Maya has now moved to the U.S.
Couple killed in front Maya, but she was only shot in the leg .
Monica Spear was Miss Venezuela in 2004 and moved on to star in soap operas but refused to leave Venezuela after being robbed six times .
Spear and Berry had split in 2013 but were on vacation together with their daughter and there was talk of reconciliation .
Berry's British-born parents lived in Venezuela after moving there 30 years ago but custody normally goes to the maternal grandparents .
The Spears family lives in Orlando, Florida and they now have custody .
Venezuela has fifth highest murder rate in the world according to the UN .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . The daughter of a Venezuelan beauty queen and her British husband who were murdered in an armed highway robbery has started school in Orlando, Florida after moving into the care of her grandfather. Monica Spear Mootz and Thomas Berry were killed in cold blood after being robbed when their car broke down on the Puerto-Cabello to Valencia highway on January 6. Now their 5-year-old daughter Maya, who was in the car with them at the time of the attack, has started school in America just days before the one-month anniversary of their death. New horizons: Monica Spear posted this photo of she and her daughter Maya just days before the fatal attack that left her and her ex-husband dead . Heartbreaking: Monica Spear Mootz, 29, and Thomas Berry, 39, had an amicable split a year earlier but took vacations together with their daughter- including the one they were on when they were killed . Maya was in their car with them and suffered a glancing wound to her leg during the robbery. She was treated in hospital but did not require any surgery. Starting over: One of Monica Spear's former co-stars posted a video of Maya singing in honor of her new start at a Florida school on Monday . Mr Berry's British-born parents moved to Venezuela 30 years ago, while Ms Spear's parents live in Florida. There was a question of which grandparents would be awarded custody of the child, because it is typically granted to the maternal grandparents but Venezuelaâ€™s tense relationship with America made the issue even more fraught. 'Maya is my priority now and I need the Venezuelan government to help me obtain her guardianship', Monica's father Rafael Spear stated at the time of the couple's joint funeral. 'We have an agreement with the Berrys that the best for Maya is to be outside Venezuela,' he said, even though the Berrys also speculated publicly that it may be wise for her to remain in the same area as she was familiar with. The confirmation that she was allowed out of the country and put under the care of her grandfather Rafael Spear comes via Twitter, as one of her mother's former co-stars posted a message congratulating the girl on her first day of school in Florida. Monica Spear lived in Venezuela for a few years as a child but their family moved to Florida, and she eventually graduated from the University of Central Florida. She was named Miss Venezuela in 2004 and then came in fourth place at the Miss Universe competition the next year. Tragic: Rafael Spear, 61, told MailOnline: 'Maya is my priority now and I need the Venezuelan government to help Rafael Spear, 61, told MailOnline: 'Maya is my priority now and I need the Venezuelan government to help me obtain her guardianship' Crowds: Huge numbers of people turned up to the cemetery to pay their respects after the joint funeral. The deaths sparked protests and convulsed the crime-ridden country . She had moved back to Venezuela in . recent years to star in one of the country's top soap operas, including . 'Forbidden Passions'. Ms Spear's family had asked her to move to the U.S. with them after she was robbed six times, but the model refused. Her . co-star from the telenovela was Jencarlos Canela, who wrote in Spanish . on Twitter: 'Today you had your first day of school in Orlando, Welcome . my Maya Bella.' That tweet, . which was posted Monday, has since been deleted but he also posted a . video of the 5-year-old singing on her birthday. That link remains live. Beauty: Monica Spear Mootz represented Venezuela in the 54th annual Miss Universe competition in 2005 . Ms Spear with Maya, who was born in October 2008. The little girl was shot in the leg during the attack . His loves: Mr Berry, with his daughter Maya, 5, at left and with Monica at right. She was injured with a minor cut on her leg during the attack and is now in the care of her maternal grandparents in Florida . Better times: Some friends thought that they were going to announce that they were back together after the January vacation (seen at their wedding in 2008, the same year that their daughter was born) The couple had reportedly separated a year before their death but remained close and went on vacations together to spend time with their daughter. They were on one such trip touring the country during the week leading up to the attack and their friends thought that it may lead to a reunion. Police have attributed the fatal attack to the disruption of the country's moral fiber as a result of the dramatic telenovelas like the one that Ms Spears starred in. Seven people have been arrested in connection to the shooting.
who were murdered in an armed highway robbery has started school in Orlando, Florida after moving Mootz and Thomas Berry were killed in cold blood after being robbed when their car broke down on the Puerto-Cabello to Valencia highway on January 6. Now their 5-year-old daughter Maya, who was in Heartbreaking: Monica Spear Mootz, 29, and Thomas but took vacations together with their daughter- including the one they were on when they were school on Monday . Mr Berry's British-born parents moved to Venezuela 30 years ago, while Ms granted to the maternal grandparents but She was named Miss Venezuela in 2004 and then recent years to star in one of the country's top soap operas, including . 'Forbidden Passions'. Ms Spear's family had asked her to move to the U.S. with them after she was robbed six times, but the October 2008. The little girl was shot in the leg