A Bowling Green couple were arrested Tuesday after police suspected them of causing injuries to three of their children while disciplining them.

Joseph Msendele, 33, and Byaombe Saidi, 27, were each booked into Warren County Regional Jail on three counts of first-degree criminal abuse.

Court records indicate that they were arraigned Wednesday in Warren District Court and will return to court Dec. 18 for a preliminary hearing.

The Bowling Green Police Department became involved when officers were called Tuesday to the school attended by two of the children, ages 8 and 5, to investigate child abuse allegations.

According to an arrest citation, the two children disclosed that their parents “whooped” them at their home.

The 8-year-old reported that both Msendele and Saidi made him and the 5-year-old lie face down on the floor and whipped them with a charger cord.

“The (8-year-old) had horseshoe shaped scabs and bruise marks on his lower left back and right shin,” Msendele’s arrest citation said. “He also had multiple bruises and scabs on his back, both arms and on both legs.”

Bruises and marks were also found on the arms of the 5-year-old, who also had a black eye and a scabbed laceration near that eye, records show.

Also, the 8-year-old reported that Saidi placed him a tub of cold water as a form of discipline.

Police made contact with Msendele and Saidi at their home, where they were detained and brought to BGPD for interviewing.

According to Saidi’s citation, Saidi acknowledged using a stick to cause the injuries to the 5-year-old’s face.

“(Saidi) admitted to hitting both children with the stick on various occasions,” her arrest citation said. “She also advised she uses cold water baths as punishments.

Msendele denied causing any of the injuries when questioned by police, and when questioning Saidi about how Msendele disciplines the children, Saidi reportedly replied that “she cannot watch when she punishes them.”

The schoolchildren and a 2-year-old sibling were treated at an area hospital, where the 2-year-old was found to have bruises and potentially burns on his face, chest and back that arrest citations described as “uncommon for children of his age.”

Msendele and Saidi were placed in jail under $6,000 cash bonds.