A toddler was allegedly strangled to death by his grandparents and then thrown in an oven.
Heartbroken parents Maria, 20, and Dmitry Shcherbakovy, 25, had arrived to pick up their two-year-old son, Dima, from his grandparents only to find his burned remains dumped in the snow.
The couple, aged 52 and 48-year-old, who Dima's parents trusted to look after their boy, have been arrested on suspicion of his murder in Kemerovo in southwest Siberia, Russia.
Police said the boy was "strangled and thrown into a scalding stove" and have detained the couple in connection with their grandson's death.
Local media reports claim the grandparents were "intoxicated" at the time and could not cope with Dima's crying.
The parents arrived at the house and found the clothes their son had been wearing.
They stepped outside into the below freezing -20C surroundings and spotted his charred corpse.
They then called the police to report the incident.
In a statement, the Russian Investigative Committee said: “They located the little boy’s clothes in the house, but not him.
"Next to the house the parents found the body of their son in the snow, and called investigators and police.
“Forensic analysis will establish the exact reason for the little boy’s death.”
The child’s devastated grandmother from the other side of the family posted: “Our poor little boy, how could we not save you?”
Last year a grandfather Alexander Dranenko, 54, was detained in Omsk region after his grandson burned to death when thrown into a hot stove.
The “drunk” man claimed he “saw Satan” in the boy.
