The parents of a baby boy found dead at an Adelaide motel on Saturday have been charged with criminal neglect and concealing human remains, police say.
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Benjamin Nicholas Houghton, 40, and Yue Ning Lieu, 42, were arrested and detained under the Mental Health Act before the charges were laid.
Police said the pair had been residing in room four at the Tollgate Motel and were arrested on Saturday, and appeared before the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday, via a bedside hearing.
Police said the baby boy was about six to seven months old and had been “deceased for a period of time”.
“Initial investigations have revealed the man and woman had been staying at the motel since their arrival in South Australia at the beginning of this year,” SA police said in a statement.
“They have not had contact with South Australian authorities since this time.”
Emergency services were called to the motel, which is adjacent to the South Eastern Freeway, five kilometres south-east of the Adelaide CBD, for a welfare check on Saturday morning.
Police said that due to the “nature and complexity of the incident” the force’s Major Crime Investigation Branch had taken over the investigation.
A room was cordoned off at the Tollgate Motel, Adelaide, after reports of a baby death on Saturday. (ABC News: Bethanie Alderson)
According to court documents, viewed by the ABC, the duo have been charged with one count of criminal neglect and one count of concealing human remains to pervert the course of justice.
The documents alleged the offences occurred between August 9 and October 10, 2026.
The duo were remanded in custody until their next scheduled court hearing in May next year.
Before police confirmed the arrests, South Australia’s Police Minister Michael Brown earlier today said charges had been laid following the death of an infant, who was found by police at the Tollgate Motel on Saturday.
“I’ve been advised that charges have been laid, but at this time I don’t have any other information I can give you unfortunately,” he said.
He later gave an update in parliament and said the baby had been deceased for “some time and the body was in a state of decomposition”.
He also described the baby’s death as an “awful tragedy”.
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Earlier today, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said a post-mortem was completed yesterday.
“This is a very sensitive, ongoing investigation,” he said.
“Obviously, very upsetting for everybody connected to the investigation, a very difficult job.”
SA Police later confirmed to the ABC that it was an “operational decision” made by Major Crime Investigation Branch not to disclose news of the arrests until Tuesday afternoon.
Police said the baby’s parents had been residing at the hotel since earlier this year. (ABC News: Briana Fiore)
Yesterday, SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said the parents of the child were not known to the state’s child protection agency.
“I am in a position to be able to advise that this family and this child was not known to South Australian department of child protection, but there are still active inquiries underway across other agencies,” he said.
Mr Malinauskas reiterated those comments in parliament today, and said he became aware of the baby’s death “at the time it became publicly known”.
“Whenever there is a death of a child it is tragic,” he said.
“When it is an infant, it is particularly heartbreaking.”
On Saturday some witnesses in the area estimated about 20 police officers were present at the scene, before establishing a cordon and leaving by mid-afternoon.
At the time, police said an investigation was ongoing and a report would be prepared for the coroner.
Police have asked anyone who had stayed at the motel, particularly those who may have information about the occupants of room four, to contact Crime Stoppers.