Police say abandoned 10-month-old was bruised, scarred and burned

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A woman accused of abusing her 10-month-old daughter and then abandoning her will stay in jail Tuesday night.

Isabella Rios says her 20-year-old sister, Selena Rios, never abandoned her baby, and shouldn't have been arrested and brought to court for abusing her.

Isabella Rios says police need to find out who really harmed her niece, Anahi.

“The baby's in the hospital,” Rios said.

Rios admits Anahi has had a rough beginning.

“She's going to be a year old next month and she's only 10 pounds,” Rios said.

Police say they found the baby with multiple bruises on her small body.

A judge detailed the infant's injuries.

“The victim had multiple healing cigarette burns, bruises to the face. Various scars on her body. Growth developmental delays and an intentionally removed toe nail,” Judge Beatrice Scott said.

Police arrested the baby's mother on felony child cruelty charges.

Officers say a friend of Selena's named Maria told them Selena dropped the baby off with her Saturday at her mobile home on Tara Boulevard and disappeared.

“She didn't want to take care of the child any further is what she told that friend,” Maj. Kevin Roberts said.

But Selena's sister disputes that account.

“That's a lie. Maria is lying too,” Rios said. “Because I was present at that moment, too. She told Maria to hold her baby until she got a place to be stable with her other kids.”

Isabella Rios says her sister would never harm her child.

She says police should be looking at other people who were in the home where the abuse took place.

Isabella Rios says she has no idea why Maria would tell police her sister abandoned her baby.

Channel 2’s Tom Jones knocked on Maria's door to get her side of the story but no one answered.

Selena Rios is being held without bail.

Cox Media Group