(CNN) The car fire that killed a 3-year-old girl in New York City on Sunday night is believed to have been set by the toddler's father, according to a law enforcement source.

Large, heavy chains were used to secure the doors inside the car during the fire, according to the source, but it's unclear how exactly the chains were used because the interior of the vehicle was so badly damaged.

The disturbing details come after New York City firefighters extinguishing a car fire discovered the toddler alone inside the vehicle just before 9 p.m. on Sunday. The car was parked in a residential Queens neighborhood, just minutes away from John F. Kennedy International Airport.

While fighting the flames, firefighters got the toddler out of the burning vehicle, but the child died of her injuries at Jamaica Hospital in Queens. The New York City Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death, according to NYPD Detective Annette Shelton.

A second law enforcement source told CNN that the father was the suspect and that authorities are not looking for anyone else in relation to the crime.

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