A Tuscaloosa couple is charged after a 9-year-old boy was severely tortured over a period of time, authorities announced Friday.

Cecily Charmaine Burton, 31, and Marzel Devon Mills, 40, were arrested this week, Tuscaloosa police Lt. Teena Richardson said. Burton is the boy's mother.

The police department's Juvenile Division became aware of the case on Wednesday. Richardson described it as a "severe case of child abuse." Investigators met with staff of the Department of Human Resources Tuscaloosa and Children's of Alabama in Birmingham in reference to the investigation.

The medical staff told investigators the boy had been severely tortured over a period of time. Authorities didn't elaborate on the nature or extent of his injuries.

Burton and Mills are charged with attempted murder and aggravated child abuse. They were booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail with bond set at $200,000 each.

Court records show Burton was previously convicted of three counts of child endangerment, all misdemeanors.

No additional details have been released.