Harrowing moment wife of former Rangers star, 26, wept over his body after he was shot 18 times in Honduras car park after buying clothes for his baby daughter in a shopping mall.
Arnold Peralta played for Rangers between 2013 - 2015
Former Rangers footballer, 26-year old Arnold Peralta was shot 18 times in a drive-by attack in the car park of a shopping mall in his native Honduras yesterday.
A horrific video shows his devastated partner, Vanessa Oliva, crying over his body which is covered with a white sheet next to his Porsche Cayenne.
According to witnesses, the attackers said nothing to Peralta as he returned to his vehicle and pumped him with up to 18 bullets in the head and chest.
Vanessa Oliva, the wife of the footballer weeping over his body after the player was killed in a drive-by shooting in a shopping mall car park
El Heraldo newspaper reported that he had been shopping with his wife to buy clothes for their 3-month-old daughter, Camilla.
Police investigating the shooting in Peralta's home city of La Ceiba have ruled out robbery as a motive because none of his belongings had been taken.
Peralta had returned to his car after reportedly buying clothes for his newborn daughter when he was killed
Commissioner Leonel Sauceda said: 'Apparently it was one or two individuals who were traveling in a vehicle – a motorcycle or car. How hard our country with so many criminals killing each time, as is fashionable to kill! Such people do not deserve to be alive.'
It emerged today that Peralta had condemned the country's gangland crime in a tweet a year ago that appeared to predict his death.
Peralta pictured with his wife, Vanessa Oliva outside the Louvre in Paris
Earlier, the player's father, Carlos Peralta, also confirmed the death at a news conference, saying: 'This is terrible. They killed my exemplary son. I can't say more because of the pain I feel.'
The 26-year-old, whose 18-month stay at Rangers ended in January of this year, was in the Honduras squad for the London Olympics in 2012. He made 29 appearances for the Ibrox club, scoring once.
Rangers who will hold a minute's silence before kick-off this weekend in his memory, said in a statement: 'Rangers Football Club is deeply shocked and saddened to hear the tragic news about former player Arnold Peralta. Our thoughts go out to Arnold's family and friends at this very difficult time.'