A North Carolina couple faces felony child abuse charges in the brutal beating of a 3-year-old boy, who doctors say is now fighting for his life.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested Shamika Reaves, 23, and her boyfriend, 32-year-old Corey McCree, earlier this week after the woman's son was beaten and sexually assaulted in a motel room where they lived.

Neighbors told WCNC that they heard a commotion early Tuesday. McCree called 911 around 3:45 in the morning after he discovered that the boy had stopped breathing. The boy, who police said was beaten with an object, remains in critical condition at an area hospital.

Family members were present as the couple went before a judge on Wednesday. The boy's grandmother spoke with WCNC in a separate report, describing through tears her grandson's dire condition.

"The whole left side of his head is gone. When I look at his private area -- his private area -- Oh, God,” Felisha Brown, the victim’s grandmother, told the station. She said that the boy's bones had been crushed.

In addition to abuse counts, McCree also faces sexual assault charges in the case. Dreamin' Demon reports that the boy's genitals were mutilated. WSOC obtained a description of the child's sexual assault injuries, but said they were too graphic to publish.

The boy's godmother, Gwendolyn Lee, told WSOC that she had reported possible sexual abuse of the boy to police in March, but that social workers allowed the child to remain with his mother.