After a 1-year-old baby was found dead in the LA River, devastating the child's mother and shocking the community, the child's father was under arrest, authorities said Tuesday.
The body of Leilani Dream Burley was discovered near the Ocean Boulevard bridge in the LA River in Long Beach.
"My baby always lights up the room with her big beautiful eyes," the child's mother, Lynisha Hull, told NBCLA. "Leilani was only 1 year old. She was full of life, and she was so beautiful and loved."
She was reported missing Sunday by her grandmother after officers were called to the 300 block of North Market Street in Inglewood.
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The grandmother called police after she became concerned. Her son who lives with her, Jayveyon Burley, went to Long Beach to pick up his two children. When he came back home, the grandmother said he only had one of his children, identified by the child's mother as his 3-year-old sibling Zayveyon Burley.
Hull said she last saw Leilani burley Sunday evening when Jayveyon Burley came to pick the kids up.
Leilani's body was later discovered in the LA River, Inglewood police said.
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Jayveyon Burley, 22, was arrested on suspicion of murder and child endangerment, and booked into the Inglewood Police Department Jail. He is being held on $215,000 bail, records show.
"She has an older brother, Zayveyon Burley...She loves him so much. Their bonds were so special," the baby's mother said.
"They told me they found my baby in the river, that her father dropped her over the bridge in Long Beach," the baby's mother wrote to NBCLA. "All I can imagine right now: was she screaming? Was she afraid? Was she saying 'dada?' Did he do something with his bare hands before he dropped her in the river?"
Hull also shared the last image she took of her baby on Dec. 4 before the devastating discovery.
In an interview with NBCLA later Tuesday, she said through tears that her 3-year-old keeps asking where his sister is.
My son keeps asking me, 'where's baby? Where's baby? I can't even tell him.
Lynisha Hull
She has pledged on social media to get justice for Leilani.
Hull said Leilani's father has never hurt the kids, and was often over-protective of them.
But Sunday she says he was angry.
She describes the moment she learned the news from police.
"They came to my house, they said, 'bad news, we found your daughter in the river.' In the river!" she said. "He threw her off the bridge in Long Beach."
The child's father is due in court Wednesday.
