A man from New Hampshire has been detained following accusations of holding his parents captive and subjecting them to prolonged physical abuse, according to local authorities.

The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Nathaniel Kay, faces multiple charges including two counts each of kidnapping and criminal restraint, alongside simple assault charges. Additionally, he is charged with four counts of second-degree assault, the Belmont Police Department reported.

Kay was taken into custody on October 15, as confirmed by jail records.

The alleged victims are Kay’s elderly parents, his father aged 82 and his mother aged 77.

The reported incidents took place over two days at a residence on Cotton Hill Road in the small town of Belmont, which is situated approximately 40 miles north of Manchester.

On Oct. 15, during the early morning hours, firefighters were first dispatched in response to reports of a fall, according to various charging documents obtained by The Laconia Daily Sun.

The 911 caller, identified as one of the victims, said two people had fallen down the stairs. The caller, however, was not sure if the other victim was still conscious or even breathing, police claim. Within minutes, firefighters called law enforcement, who arrived at the scene and learned about the allegations against the defendant.

The victims said the attacks went on for some 12 hours, only ceasing a few hours before the emergency call, police allege.

During the on-and-off incidents, Kay allegedly punched and kicked his parents, tied them up with a clothesline, and dragged them into the garage where the violence continued. Then, the defendant dragged his parents back into their house and beat them again, police say.

In the end, one of the victims convinced their son to allow them to call for an ambulance because of how bad off the other parent was, the charging documents allege. The victim said they were allowed to make the 911 call – with the caveat that the injuries had to be blamed on falling down the stairs, according to law enforcement.

Responding officers noticed visible bruising on one of the victim’s eyes, as well as blood throughout the inside of the house, according to the charging documents. There were also tell-tale splotches of dried crimson on a pair of brown pants in a hamper, police claim.

The defendant’s father later told police his son strangled him with a rope around his neck, according to law enforcement.

“It’s definitely different,” Belmont Police Chief Stephen Akerstom said in comments reported by Manchester-based ABC affiliate WMUR. “Usually, we’ll respond to incidents like this, it’s, you know, something has recently happened. Not over the course of 12 hours. That’s really the difference here with this case.”

Both parents were hospitalized, while the son was initially arrested on domestic violence charges before more serious charges were filed, police said. The mother was treated for a brain bleed; the father was treated for a broken nose and ribs, according to law enforcement.

The defendant is currently in preventive detention. Kay waived a probable cause hearing this week, the Daily Sun reported. No court date has yet been set as the case moves up to Belknap County Superior Court.