In a tragic case from West Virginia, a young couple has been charged following the death of their infant, who was found in dire living conditions. The 1-month-old’s demise occurred in a home described as “deplorable,” filled with insects, mold, spoiled milk, and piles of dirty diapers.

The parents, Caleb Shane Decapio, aged 21, and Hope Lynn Taylor, 20, are now facing serious legal repercussions. Each has been charged with 28 felony counts of gross child neglect, as these charges suggest they created a significant risk of death or serious injury for their child, according to court documents.

The Brooke County Sheriff’s Office initiated the investigation after responding to an emergency call about an unresponsive infant at a residence on Peacock Lane in Follansbee. As reported by WTOV, an NBC affiliate based in Steubenville, Ohio, emergency responders quickly arrived and attempted to revive the newborn through CPR.

Sadly, as detailed by Brooke County Sheriff Richard Beatty in an interview with WTRF, a CBS affiliate in Wheeling, West Virginia, their efforts were in vain. Despite the emergency team’s endeavors, the infant could not be resuscitated.

The infant was declared dead at approximately 5:30 a.m., after emergency medical services worked diligently for about half an hour trying to save the child, WVNews reported. These details were extracted from the criminal complaint lodged against the parents.

In her statement to investigators, Taylor recounted that she had been breastfeeding the baby and appeared to have fallen asleep. Upon waking, she found the infant unresponsive, nestled between herself and Decapio, according to the complaint.

Roughly two and a half hours later, deputies executed a search warrant at the residence and reported finding what they described as “deplorable” conditions.

Authorities discovered between 80 and 100 soiled diapers in the bedroom where the child slept and about 20 baby bottles containing rotten milk or formula. Investigators also noted mold on food throughout the home and said the air inside was “difficult to breathe.”

“It was terrible,” Beatty said. “After 30-some-odd years in this business, I could say that it was one of the most deplorable conditions that I’ve ever seen or witnessed.”

Officials also reportedly observed injuries on the infant, including a bruise near the base of the skull and a small amount of blood on the child’s cheek, according to the complaint.

“I would tend to think there’s some serious neglect,” Beatty said.

While investigators believe parental neglect at least contributed to the newborn’s death, final charging decisions will be made by prosecutors.

The sheriff told WTRF that the initial investigation left him and his investigators shaken.

“Any suspicious death is a tough call, but the suspicious death of a 1-month-old child in condition such as that — yeah, it’ll leave a mark in our brains for a little while,” Beatty added.

Authorities said each of the 28 charges corresponds to a day the child allegedly lived in those “deplorable” conditions. If convicted on all counts, Decapio and Taylor could face decades in prison.

Both defendants are currently being held at the Northern Regional Jail on $100,000 bond, records show. They are scheduled to appear for their preliminary hearings on April 6.