Suspects detained after death of 5-year-old in Shandong

The suspects, mother and her new boyfriend, involved in the alleged unnatural death of a five-year-old boy in the Wendeng district of Weihai, Shandong province are under criminal detention, said the district branch of the Weihai public security bureau on Sunday.

After receiving a report on the case on Tuesday, the district public security branch placed the two suspects surnamed Chen and Shi under criminal detention on the same day. A forensic examination of the deceased's body was conducted the next day. The case is currently under further investigation, said the district branch.

The boy's father surnamed Zheng suspected that his son had been physically abused and believed that his son's death was connected to his ex-wife, surnamed Chen, and her boyfriend with surname of Shi, according to media reports.

After receiving a call from the local police on Tuesday, which informed him that his son had no heartbeat at the hospital, Zheng rushed to the hospital and found his son lying on a bed with large areas of bruises on his upper body and wounds on his left chest and face, Zheng told media outlets.

Zheng and Chen divorced in February. After their divorce, their son lives with Chen.