A one-year-old baby was found unconscious in a filthy, mouse-infested home, after his head was submerged in a bucket of bleach “for an undisclosed amount of time”, Iowa authorities have said.
Scott Marcov, 30, and Madelyn Marcov, 28, have been charged with child endangerment and the neglect of a dependent person while causing serious injury, the Dubuque Police Department told The Independent Friday. The mother and father were arrested Tuesday morning at around 5am.
The incident reportedly unfolded on October 1, 2024, when police arrived at the family home in Dubuque and were met with one of the Marcov’s panic-stricken children carrying their baby brother while yelling he was unconscious, according to an affidavit.
Madelyn Marcov called 911 for help, and the Dubuque Fire Department was already at the scene providing medical attention, it read.
The child “had fallen into a bucket of bleach water, which resulted in his head being submerged in water for an undisclosed amount of time”, the affidavit read.
The young boy was rushed to a local hospital after he “suffered acute respiratory failure and loss of consciousness”, said the affidavit. But shortly after, he was transferred to the University of Iowa hospital for further specialized treatment.
Upon further enquiry, detectives discovered that Scott Marcov had been in the kitchen, while Madelyn was in the living room of the family home, when the baby plunged into the bucket of bleach, according to the affidavit.
Detectives discovered the extent of the conditions the three children were living in after executing a search warrant, which had originally been “to obtain photos and collect any evidence” regarding the baby’s state.
But when investigators entered the home, they said it was “completely filthy” with garbage scattered throughout and mice running loose.
“Officers observed mice moving around, a dead mouse on the floor in the kitchen, garbage, and food all over the floor and countertops,” said the affidavit. A saturated diaper was left inside a cooking pot on the kitchen stove, said the report.
Two other children, aged 4 and 6, had also been living in the home at the time, revealed the affidavit.
The case was reportedly being investigated for over four months prior to the pair’s arrest. Both are said to have posted a $20,000 bond since the Tuesday arrest.
The Independent contacted the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque County Courthouse for comment.
