Suffolk County police arrested a New Jersey couple in connection with the murder of a 5-year-old boy last year.

The victim's mother, Valerie Owusu, 26, and her boyfriend, Emmanuel Addae, 27, both of Orange, New Jersey, are charged with second-degree murder in the death of their child, King Owusu.

Police say they were called to a Brentwood home on April 1, 2021 and found King unresponsive and unable to move. The child was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Witnesses say the child had earlier been dropped off by the boyfriend of the child's mother with his family who lived in the apartment.

An autopsy revealed King sustained blunt force trauma throughout his body.

The couple was arrested Thursday after they had come to a family court hearing in Central Islip.

Suffolk County police say their investigation took as long as it did because they couldn't confirm where the child had been allegedly assaulted until recently.

"There was initial information that the incident might have occurred in Ghana," says Detective Lt. Kevin Breyer. "They had traveled to Ghana recently, it took time to disprove that theory and it is now disproven."

Addae's family has moved out of the apartment, but its new resident who didn't want to be seen on camera says she was saddened about what happened to the boy.

"That's unimaginable, I don't even know what to say right now," they said.

Owusu and Addae were arraigned Friday at Suffolk County Supreme Court in Riverhead.

Owusu's attorney says her client is devastated with the loss of her child but had no hand in his death.

Calls to Addae's attorney were not returned as of 5 p.m. Friday.

Both suspects are being held without bail.