Arizona Parents and Grandma Charged with Murder After 6-Year-Old Kept in Closet Dies

Two parents and one grandparent in Arizona have been charged with child abuse and homicide after a 6-year-old boy in their care was found dead in their home.

The 6-year-old and his 7-year-old brother had allegedly been kept locked in a closet for about a month by their parents Anthony Jose Archibeque-Martinez, 23 and Elizabeth Archibeque-Martinez, 26, and grandmother Ann Marie Martinez, 50, according to a police statement obtained by NBC News.

The Flagstaff Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The three adults are currently being held at the Coconino County Jail, and are charged with one count each of first-degree felony homicide and two counts each of child abuse, the police statement said, according to NBC News’ report. It was not immediately clear if they have a lawyer.

The parents and grandmother reportedly admitted to police that the boys had been “kept in the closet because they were stealing food, by sneaking out at night when the parents slept.”

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Both were malnourished to the point of not looking their ages.

Two other children, a 4-year-old and 2-year-old, were also found at the home, but were not malnourished like their older siblings.

Police discovered the dead 6-year-old on Monday after they received a call about an unresponsive child. He was unable to be revived and was pronounced dead on the scene.

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The 7-year-old was taken to the Flagstaff Medical Center and placed in the Department of Child Safety’s custody along with the two younger children, NBC News reported.

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It’s not the first time that DCS has dealt with this family.

In February 2013, DCS received a report of two different allegations of abuse toward one of the siblings, but both of those allegations were unsubstantiated, DCS said in a statement to PEOPLE Tuesday.

The parents participated in voluntary in-home services, and the case was closed when those were completed in July of that year, the statement said.

“DCS mourns the tragic loss of this innocent life. We can confirm the child’s siblings are currently in DCS care and are receiving the care and services necessary to help them during this difficult time,” the DCS said of the incident this week. “Keeping children safe is the Department’s top priority. However, DCS cannot investigate child abuse and neglect unless we receive a report from the community.” 

Anyone who reasonably suspects that a child is being abused or neglected is encouraged to report it to the state’s DCS at 888-SOS-CHILD (888-767-2445).

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Investigators are currently trying to figure out if anyone else knew about the abuse, and if so, how long it went unchecked. Police reportedly said that it would be unusual for something like this to go unnoticed in such a small community without anyone knowing.

The investigation is ongoing, NBC News reported, and detectives served a search warrant at the home. The 6-year-old’s cause of death is currently being worked on by the medical examiner, according to the outlet.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to http://www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.