A Phoenix couple allegedly hid the dead body of a foster child in their attic for more than two years, according to prosecutors.

Rafael Loera, 56, and Maribel Loera, 50, are charged with child abuse, abandonment or concealment of a dead body and arson of an occupied structure.

Firefighters found evidence of human skeletal remains in the couple’s drywall after responding to a fire at the home.

The Arizona Republic reported that during a police interview, Mr Loera told investigators the bones belonged to an 11-year-old girl the couple adopted. According to his statement, the girl became sick in July 2017 and he waited days before taking her to the hospital.

Mr Loera said the girl died on the way to the hospital, vomiting and convulsing on the way. He claims that he and his wife feared losing custody of their three other adopted children, so they wrapped the girl in a sheet and hid her body in the attic. Before the remains were found, Mr Loera claimed the girl had moved to Mexico.

Hours before the fire began, the Arizona Department of Child Safety took two children out of the house, a 9-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, over allegations of child abuse.

Investigators began their inquiries into the couple when a different 11-year-old called police on January 20, telling them that she had been left alone at home for two days and was hungry. When police arrived to help the child, they found human faeces on the floor. The child was removed later that day.

Police found injuries on the girl, who told them that Ms Loera had a “bad temper” and frequently beat her by whipping her with a knotted extension cord or smashing her head against walls.

Mr Loera admitted to investigators that he knew his wife had been abusive towards the children. He described scenes in which his wife would beat the children with cords and broomsticks. He said that Ms Loera had physically abused the 11-year-old who eventually died, but he never reported the abuses because he feared he would also be injured. He frequently left the children at home alone with her as he was working two jobs.

On January 28, the Arizona Department of Child Safety was granted temporary custody of a 9-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl living in the home. The children were covered in injuries, with court documents saying the boy’s injuries were “too numerous to count.”

Mr Loera allegedly set fire to his home moments after the children were taken from the house using gasoline from his car. Court documents suggest Mr Loera intended to kill himself in the blaze, but firefighters stopped the blaze before it grew large enough to kill him. Responding firefighters found Ms Loera inside the house with a garden hose attempting to douse the flames.

Mr Loera was charged with two counts of child abuse, one count of abandoning or concealing a dead body and one count of arson.