She lovingly called her "Nola bear."
"She captured everybody's heart. From the moment you saw her, you fell in love with her. She was special. She could be funny and she could be dramatic," said Velma Dinkins, the child's paternal grandmother.
Maryland State Police say 3-year-old Nola Dinkins' body was discovered in a vacant parking lot in Cecil County, Maryland.
Nola's mother, 31-year-old Darrian Randle, is charged with her murder.
"Everyone loved her. We are just heartbroken. We have so many questions, but all of that is going to come in due time," Dinkins said.
MORE | Mom allegedly beat child to death with belt, hid body in suitcase before making up abduction report
Mom allegedly beat child to death with belt, hid body in suitcase before making up abduction report
According to an arrest affidavit, Randle confessed to physically striking (the victim) with a belt approximately 15-20 times.
Randle allegedly told police that when Nola stopped moving, she put her daughter's body in a suitcase.
It remained there overnight at the home Randle shared with her boyfriend, 44-year-old Cedrick Antoine Britten, in North East, Maryland.
On Wednesday, police discovered the suitcase with Nola's body in a vacant parking lot.
Britten is accused of helping Randle dispose of the little girl's body.
"We are just heartbroken that this has happened to us. My precious baby," Dinkins said.
Court documents from Indiana detail a custody battle between Randle and Nola's biological father.
Records show he tried to stop Randle from taking their daughter out of Indiana.
"My son is well-loved. He is going to get what he needs, and we are going to get the justice that we need, and we are going to get the closure. Because he will never be alone," Dinkins said.
In addition to facing murder charges in Maryland, Randle is charged with falsely reporting that her daughter had been kidnapped in Delaware.
An Amber Alert was issued, then canceled hours later.
"You cannot imagine how much love has been shown to us since this has happened; it has just been overwhelming with love. She touched so many people. And they remember her because she was just unforgettable," Dinkins said.
Randle remains in a Delaware jail on murder charges. She's awaiting extradition to Maryland.