The Iowa parents of a 1-year-old boy were arrested this week after the tot was found with his head submerged in a bucket of bleach, authorities said.
Police made the disturbing discovery at the filthy, mouse-infested home in Dubuque, where Scott Marcov, 30, and Madelyn Marcov, 28, lived with the baby and two other kids, ages 6 and 4.
The child “had fallen into a bucket of bleach water, which resulted in his head being submerged in water for an undisclosed amount of time,” the police affidavit said.
He was found by one of the older children, who carried his body to the living room — prompting Madelyn to call 911, KCRG reported.
The young boy was quickly transported to a nearby hospital after experiencing “acute respiratory failure and loss of consciousness” as noted in the affidavit. However, he was soon moved to the University of Iowa Hospital for more advanced and specialized care.
During the investigation, detectives learned that Scott Marcov was in the bathroom, while Madelyn was in the living room of their home, at the time the baby fell into the bucket of bleach.
As police continued their investigation, they found the house where the family lived to be completely filthy. Officers reported mice moving around, a dead mouse on the floor in the kitchen, and a dirty diaper inside a cooking pot, on the kitchen countertop.
The incident took place in October of last year and has been under investigation for the past four months.
The couple was arrested at 5 a.m. Tuesday and charged with child endangerment and the neglect of a dependent person while causing serious injury, according to the Dubuque Police Department.
Scott and Madelyn Marcov both posted a $20,000 bond. The complaint did not give an updated condition for the boy.
