During investigations on a 1-year-old boy’s injuries, Detroit police discovered the skeletal remains of another child who is the brother of the injured boy.

The authorities arraigned the boys’ parents, 24-year-old Nickella Reid and 27-year-old Joseph Miller on Saturday. They were charged with first and second-degree child abuse for injuries caused to the 1-year-old boy.

He suffered burns over one third of his body from what she said was scalding water, but he is in fair condition, according to the police.

"The allegation is he was severely abused," said Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller to the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.

The police are investigating whether other charges can be added to the current ones, in connection with the death of Deante, in March 2006.

Parents’ stories about their child’s death do not match. Reid told police Miller killed their son, but Miller said the boy died of natural causes. The woman also reported that Miller scalded their other son in the kitchen, a charge he denied.

Both parents were arrested on Friday after Reid took her son to the hospital. Hospital officials immediately alerted state child protective workers.

Reid broke down during the interview, telling the police about their other son, Deante, their cremation attempt and the remains in the ceiling, Detroit police said.

Police immediately looked for the remains of the boy in the ceiling of a home in the 2100 block of Dickerson, where Miller’s sister used to live. The remains were taken to the county morgue to establish the cause of death.

Reid and Miller are being held in Wayne County Jail on $400,000 and $700,000 bonds, respectively. Miller also has two previous drug convictions.

A court hearing is set on December 4.