In a heartbreaking case out of Louisiana, authorities report that a 5-year-old boy was found weighing only 19 pounds after allegedly being starved by his parents in a home cluttered with trash.

The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office has charged Marley Perilloux, 33, and Raynisa Young, 27, with negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to juveniles. They also face charges for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and illegal carrying of weapons, as detailed in a statement from the sheriff’s office.

Authorities have indicated that additional or elevated charges could be forthcoming.

According to Baton Rouge’s CBS affiliate WAFB, the tragic sequence of events unfolded on New Year’s Day around 9 p.m. The parents reportedly placed their son in a vehicle and called emergency services. Deputies met the father and child at a gas station in Geismar, where they discovered the boy, Marley Perilloux, unresponsive.

The sheriff’s office detailed that deputies began administering CPR immediately while awaiting emergency responders. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital and receiving continued care, the young boy was sadly declared deceased.

The child had “apparent injuries” and detectives had “additional concerns of child neglect, including severe malnourishment,” according to sheriff’s deputies. The investigation led authorities to the family’s home, where three other children of unidentified ages lived.

“Detectives reported the inside of the home was in poor condition and barely livable due to Perilloux and Young’s negligence,” the sheriff’s office said. Trash was strewn throughout the home and dirty mattresses lay on the floor. “Detectives interviewed Perilloux and Young and learned that both parents had failed to ensure proper hygiene, feeding, and medical care of the juvenile, who weighed approximately 19 pounds at the time of death.”

Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Col. Donald Capelo expressed how “this is probably the worst case of child neglect I’ve seen in my 34 years of law enforcement.”

“To put it in perspective, when the coroners come out, there are body bags for adults, and there are body bags for infants,” he added, per WAFB. “And this child, 5 years old, fit in an infant body bag.”

Neighbors reportedly said they were shocked by the harrowing news. One said the couple should have asked for help.

“People are treating their pets almost better than that,” Calvin Lewis told the TV station.

The parents were both arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail. They are being detained with no bond.

The three other children living at the home were removed by the state, the TV station added.