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RANDLEMAN, N.C. — Police found a malnourished 5-year-old girl locked in a small closet under the stairway of a North Carolina home, according to a press release.

On Sept. 12, police conducted a welfare check for a child at a home in the 200 block of Back Street in Randleman, according to WGHP.  Police had been told a child living there was being physically and mentally abused.

At first, it appeared no one was home – there were no vehicles in the driveway and no one responded to the officers’ knocks.  When police began calling the child’s name, however, they heard a voice from inside.

They first asked the child if she was OK and the girl said “no.” Officers then asked if she needed help and she replied, “yes.”

The officers then entered through a front porch window and found the child locked in a 2-by-4-foot closet under a stairway. She had no food or water and appeared to be extremely malnourished with burns, scratches, and bruises all over her body.

The 5-year-old was taken from the home by a daycare employee. She was taken to Randolph Hospital and transferred to Brenner’s Children’s Hospital.

She is currently in the custody of the Randolph County Department of Social Services.

Police arrested Adam Joshua Byrd, the child’s father, and Crystal Dawn Carnahan, who is described as a caretaker.

Byrd is charged with assault with a deadly weapon serious injury, intentional child abuse serious physical injury and negligent child abuse serious physical injury.

Carnahan is charged with assault with deadly weapon serious injury, intentional child abuse serious physical injury and negligent child abuse serious physical injury.

Both were taken to the Randolph County Jail on a $350,000 secured bond.