Former Miss Venezuela killed by armed robbers in Venezuela - Mónica Spear

Mónica Spear, a 29-year-old former Miss Venezuela who lived in Orlando and retains close ties to the area, was gunned down along with her ex-husband while vacationing in the South American country.

Spear and her ex-husband, Henry Berry, 39, died late Monday in an attempted robbery on the highway between Puerto Cabello and Valencia in central Venezuela.

Spear, who graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2004 with a bachelor of arts in theater, was also a well-known soap-opera actress.

"It is the deepest pain, the deepest pain. It is unbelievable," her father, Rafael, told the Orlando Sentinel at his east Orange County home Tuesday as 10 members of the extended family waited to fly by private jet to the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. "This is a great loss for us. She was very charismatic, a very good daughter, a very good mother, and she loved Venezuela."

Spear's 5-year-old daughter, Maya, survived the attack late Monday, with a bullet wound in her leg. She underwent surgery Tuesday morning, according to the family.