Pair Arrested in Death of Girl, 2 : Crime: The mother of seven and her boyfriend are suspected of killing the child. Authorities say body showed signs of abuse.

A mother of seven and her boyfriend were arrested Sunday on suspicion of killing the woman’s 2-year-old daughter who, authorities said, showed signs of physical abuse.

Valerie Edwards, 28, and Anthony Sanchez, 29, were held without bail in the death of Reylene Rodriguez, who died at 4 a.m. Sunday at a hospital, where she was taken by paramedics called to a Rosemead motel after the child stopped breathing.

“An examination by doctors revealed numerous bruises and what was believed to be cigarette burns about Reylene’s body,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy George Ducoulombier said.

Sanchez, who is not the father of any of Edwards’ children, told deputies that the child fell from a bed.

An autopsy was scheduled.

Edwards and Sanchez were arrested at the Palm Motel, where they had been staying with her children since Friday night, said motel manager Beverly Edwards, the arrested woman’s mother.

The elder Edwards talked to a reporter inside the one-room unit where her daughter was arrested. Rumpled sheets covered two beds crowded into the room. A red, heart-shaped balloon reading “I love you” floated near the doorway above a can of beer and a stuffed teddy bear on a dresser. Two bottles of children’s medicine were in an open dresser drawer.

Valerie Edwards, an unemployed welfare recipient, needed a place to stay because her former boyfriend’s family “kicked her out” when the boyfriend was sent to jail, her mother explained. She did not know much about Sanchez, she added.

The motel manager said she was unclear about what led to her granddaughter’s death. Reylene was sick the night Valerie brought her family to the motel, she said.

“The little girl had bruises on her,” the woman said. “I don’t know what happened.”

Because the motel unit is small, the grandmother said, the three oldest children stayed with her while Valerie Edwards, Sanchez and the four younger children slept in the room.

“She was a mama’s girl,” Edwards said of the dead toddler, her voice shaking. “She always stayed with her mommy.

“She was a quiet child. She hardly could talk.”

Early Sunday, about 3 a.m., Edwards said, her daughter pounded on her door, yelling that she needed a paramedic.

When deputies and paramedics arrived at 3:20 a.m., they found Sanchez trying to revive the toddler, who had stopped breathing.

Reylene did not respond to cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed by paramedics, Ducoulombier said.

Valerie Edwards and Sanchez were jailed at the sheriff’s Temple City Station pending arraignment. Deputies did not know whether complaints involving child abuse were ever lodged against them before Sunday.

Beverly Edwards said her daughter was arrested once for “being under the influence,” but she knew of no other trouble with the law.

The grandmother said she will try to gain custody of her six remaining grandchildren--ranging in age from 1 to 8--who were in the custody of the county Department of Children’s Services for placement in foster homes.

“I plan to go fight for my grandkids and fight for my daughter because I know she didn’t do it,” she said, wiping a tear from her face.