Florida grandmother of five-year-old 'thrown off bridge by her father' says he should've killed HIMSELF instead

• Phoebe Jonchuk was thrown screaming from a bridge in Tampa Bay
• Rescuers found the girl but she could not be saved and died in hospital
• The girl's father, John Jonchuk Jr, 25, was arrested 30 minutes later
• He has been charged with first-degree murder and assaulting police officer
• His mother, Michelle Jonchuck, says she never wants to see him again
• Michelle Kerr, the girl's mother, said he had made false abuse allegations
• Described how he had been diagnosed with bipolar and was 'unstable'

By Wills Robinson and Ollie Gillman and Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com

Published: 02:22 EST, 9 January 2015 | Updated: 04:40 EST, 9 January 2015

The grandmother of a five-year-old girl who was allegedly thrown to her death from a 60ft bridge by her father has said he should have killed himself instead.

John Jonchuck Jr, 25, was arrested half an hour after a man was seen speeding towards a bridge and throwing a child 60ft into the water on Wednesday night.

Rescuers found Phoebe Jonchuk 40 minutes later but she could not be resuscitated.

Jonchuck's mother and the girl's grandmother, Michelle Lynn Jonchuck, 51, told My Fox Tampa she never wants to see her son again and claims she wishes it was him who had died on the bridge.

In custody: John Jonchuk Jr, 25, (left) has been charged with murder after his five-year-old daughter Phoebe (right) was thrown to her death off a 60ft bridge in Tampa Bay

Devastated: Jonchuck's mother and the girl's grandmother Michelle Lynn Jonchuck, has said she never wants to see her son again and claims she wishes it was him who had died on the bridge

Speaking to Click Orlando, she also paid tribute to the youngster, saying: 'She always had a smile on her face, she loved to dance and she sung.

'I don't forgive him. There is no sense in this. He didn't have to do this to her. I just wish there was one thing God could do was to bring her back.'

She added that she was supposed to pick Phoebe up from school on Thursday. The last time she saw her son and daughter together, she said everything was normal.

Michelle Kerr, Phoebe's mother who last saw her on Christmas Eve, told the station that Jonchuck gave her restricted access to her daughter.

'She was my angel, I always called her my angel baby. She loved to learn new things. She loved to make you smile. She was so animated,' she said.

'He would only let me talk to her on the phone. He wouldn't disclose his location, so I didn't know where to go.'

Mr Jonchuk separated from Miss Kerr, who has MS, following six tumultuous years together - during which police were called numerous times for domestic violence issues. Both had arrest records.

On the last night she saw Phoebe, Miss Kerr said she and Jonchuck had a nice evening together, but later on he called child protective services and made a false abuse allegations.

Troubled relationship: Michelle Kerr, Phoebe's mother who last saw her on Christmas Eve, said Jonchuck gave her restricted access to her daughter. She added that he had been diagnosed with bipolar

'My angel': Paying tribute to Phoebe, Miss Kerr said: 'She loved to learn new things. She loved to make you smile. She was so animated.'

She added that he had been diagnosed as bipolar and had been admitted to a mental hospital on several occasions.

'He does the Jekyll and Hyde. It's just something that goes on in his head, he just wasn't wired right.

'He's not mentally stable, but he was mentally stable enough to take care of a child for five years, so he knew what he did. He cried, the detective said.'

It has since emerged Mr Jonchuk was interviewed by police earlier that day after 'acting strangely' in a meeting with his attorney to discuss Phoebe's custody - calling the lawyer 'God' then asking her to read the Bible in Swedish.

With no fixed abode, the father and daughter have been living with John Jonchuk Sr for two months.

Issues: Mr Jonchuk separated from Miss Kerr, who has MS, following six tumultuous years together - during which police were called numerous times for domestic violence issues. Both had arrest records

But at midnight last night Jonchuk was allegedly seen speeding at 100mph in a PT Cruiser toward the Sunshine Skyway bridge, according to a police report.

The officer who spotted the Cruiser gave chase and saw the driver reach the top of Dick Misener Bridge then enter the approach to the Skyway.

The car was then seen to stop and a figure emerged, throwing a child over the side of the rail into the water off Boca Ciega Bay.

The officer said he heard the girl scream as she fell.

Jonchuk returned to the car and drove south but was stopped by Manatee County authorities about 30 minutes later.

He was arrested and has been charged with first-degree murder.

Jonchuk also faces charges of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle on a law enforcement officer and aggravated fleeing and eluding police.

The girl was found 40 minutes later by divers from Eckerd College and attempts were made to resuscitate her. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead and her mother was informed.

At Jonchuk's first hearing on Thursday, Pinellas County Judge Michael Andrews asked him if he wanted an attorney.

'I want to leave it in the hands of God,' Jonchuck said.

Scene: Jonchuk was allegedly seen speeding at 100mph in a PT Cruiser toward the Sunshine Skyway bridge, according to a police report

Arrested: An officer who claims to have witnessed the incident chased Jonchuk and detained him

Behavior: Mr Jonchuk was interviewed by police earlier that day after 'acting strangely' in a meeting with his attorney to discuss Phoebe's custody - calling the lawyer 'God' then asking her to read the Bible in Swedish

Tragic: This is the car seat, recovered from Boca Ciega Bay, in which investigators found the dead child

The judge responded: 'I'm pretty sure God's not going to be representing you in this case. You're going to be standing trial.'

Details have since emerged of Jonchuk's 'strange' behavior on Wednesday that prompted his attorney Genevieve Torres to contact police.

Torres said she met with John Jonchuck on Wednesday to discuss the custody case for his five-year-old daughter, Phoebe.

After their meeting, she was so worried about the father and daughter that she reported the odd statements to police.

Officers interviewed Jonchuck and his daughter as he was picking her up from a church day care and both appeared to be in good health. Jonchuck said he didn't want to harm himself or anyone else, the documents said.

'She was smiling and appeared healthy, properly clothed and happy,' according to the documents.

A little more than twelve hours later, police said Jonchuck threw his daughter over a bridge.