Three Abandoned Children Have Been Found With The Skeletal Remains Of A Nine-Year-Old In An Apartment.
Three abandoned children were found near the skeletal remains of their nine-year-old brother in a building in Texas.
Authorities said the youngsters, aged 7, 10 and 15, were discovered at an apartment complex west of downtown Houston on Sunday.
The 15-year-old reportedly said his younger brother had been dead for a year and was in the next room. He also claimed that their parents had not lived in the apartment for several months.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez called the situation "heartbreaking" with the children living in "appalling conditions".
A statement posted on the police department's website said: "MPs responded to the apartment at 3530 Green Crest and discovered the skeletal remains of a small child which appeared to match the age provided by the teenager.
Mother of the children and her boyfriend have been found and are being interviewed by homicide investigators.
NBC News, reports that the children were found during a police screening welfare in an apartment.
The three children may have been in the apartment for months or even a year, Sheriff Gonzalez told the station."I wasn't told they were necessarily locked up, but at this age they seem to be defending each other," he said. Mr Gonzalez added that the three children appeared to be malnourished and showed signs of physical injuries. All three were taken to hospital for treatment.