A Valley Stream couple was taken into police custody Saturday for allegedly beating their 5-month-old daughter, police say.

Authorities say Scott Archbold had repeatedly broken the baby?s bones, and his girlfriend, Christina Benjamin, did nothing to stop him.

?It appears the child has prior injuries as well to its legs,? says Detective Lt. Kevin Smith. ?There's evidence that the baby may have been abused before.?

Police say it was the toddler?s grandmother who first raised a red flag about the injuries. While babysitting the girl at her Jamaica home on Wednesday, police say the grandmother noticed bruising and swelling on the baby's right leg.

According to Smith, the grandmother told Benjamin about the injury, believing she would seek treatment for the baby. The woman, however, did not take the child to a doctor right away. Smith says Benjamin sought medical attention for the girl Thursday when she developed breathing problems.

Police say by that time the baby was in critical condition with multiple fractures and internal bleeding. The child is being treated in the pediatric intensive care unit at Long Island Jewish Hospital in New Hyde Park.