Melinda and Brigham Merrell have been arrested on child torture charges nearly eight months after their son’s death

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Authorities in Utah have arrested a couple in connection with the death of their 11-year-old who they allegedly claimed to police died by suicide.

Brigham Merrell and Melinda Merrell have been arrested on felony charges months after their son’s death in September, the Tremonton Garland Police Department said in a statement.

Officers responded to a report of an unresponsive child at the couple’s residence on Sep. 21 in Tremonton, Utah, according to the statement. They found the boy at the residence and administered life-saving efforts before taking him to a hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

Police are not naming the child, and a GoFundMe set up for the child was removed. PEOPLE is not naming the child to respect his privacy.

On Thursday, May 7, police announced the Merrells had been arrested, alleging in their statement that an investigation had uncovered a “pattern of ongoing physical abuse of the deceased child as well as other children in the household.”

On the day of the incident, Brigham allegedly told a 911 dispatcher that he had found the boy “hanging by a coaxial cable,” claiming the boy had hung himself, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

Brigham allegedly told police he was giving the child CPR but responding officers found him kneeling by the victim, not performing CPR, the affidavit stated.

According to camera footage inside the residence, police alleged, the father could be seen moving the child upstairs, moving past the door where emergency personnel were “actively” knocking to get in, per the affidavit.

An arrest report said that the boy had bruises on his back that authorities said were inconsistent with hanging but likely occurred immediately before or during the child’s death, according to the outlet.

Police allege that Brigham gave inconsistent information about the circumstances surrounding his son’s death over several months of interviews.

The investigation also allegedly revealed years-long abuse and torture against the children by the parents, including the restriction of food; corporal punishment using belts and pans; and making the children stay in an outside dog run when they got in trouble, according to the affidavit.

Brigham has been charged with child abuse homicide and child torture, Tremonton Garland police said in their statement. Melinda has been charged with child torture, they said.

It’s not immediately clear if the suspects have entered pleas or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.