A 20-year-old woman with Down syndrome was systematically starved and beaten by the couple entrusted with her care in Colwyn, the Delaware County District Attorney's Office announced after arresting both suspects Wednesday.

Yahnae Clegg-Brown, 31, and Naiyr "Hasan" Sanders, 35, face multiple charges related to abuse and neglect of a care-dependent person following a months-long investigation. Sanders was additionally charged with simple assault. Both are being held in Delaware County Prison after failing to post 10 percent of their $250,000 bails.

The investigation began in April, when a Colwyn officer found the victim locked outside the couple's home. The officer discovered her in the backyard, visibly distressed, soaked head to toe and clutching a trash bag full of clothes. She had injuries to her right eye and multiple marks on her body, and was malnourished, according to the DA's Office.

The DA's Office described a pattern of punishment: the victim was denied food and beaten while living in the home. She was forced to sleep on a deteriorating mattress with no sheets, blankets or pillows.

Home surveillance footage shows Sanders pushing the victim down concrete steps and shutting the door in her face, according to the DA's Office. A second video shows him punching her in the face.

"To have systematically abused a young woman in this way is beyond comprehension," District Attorney Tanner Rouse said.

It was not immediately clear how the victim came to live with Clegg-Brown and Sanders or how long she had been in their care, the DA's Office said.

The exact charge counts and grading in this case have not been publicly detailed. Under Pennsylvania law, neglect of a care-dependent person resulting in bodily injury is a first-degree misdemeanor; if serious bodily injury results, the charge rises to a first-degree felony carrying up to 20 years in prison.

"Who saw what they believed to be a young girl because she was so malnourished and so small out in the cold in the rain. It would have been easy enough to do nothing, but they did something. They called, they reported this. They might have very well saved this poor young woman's life," Rouse said.

As of Friday, neither suspect had an attorney listed in online court records.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Steve Bannar of the Delaware County DA's Office at 610-891-4700.