His parents Sukhjinder and Briseida Sran on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to felony counts for the death of their son.
RELATED: Madera parents plead not guilty to murdering their 2-year-old son
[Ads /]
Just hours after that, the heartbroken family of the little boy spoke out.
In Spanish, the boy's grandmother said she never could have seen this coming.
"He was happy all the time. He was very joyful despite the fact he didn't walk, he crawled. But he was very happy," said Imelda De La O. "My heart cannot believe it. I don't believe it."
She said the alleged involvement of Thaddeus' parents came as a complete shock.
"They both surprised us, the whole family. If you ask the whole family, the family will tell you the same."
[Ads /]
The couple first reported their special needs son missing July 15.
On July 23, burned remains believed to be those of Thaddeus were discovered by cadaver dogs in a rural area.
The next day, the Srans were arrested for their little boy's murder.
De La O described her son-in-law as a good person and her daughter Briseida as a loving mother.
"She was a woman who had a lot of fun with her kids. Played with them, dedicated a lot of time to them, worried for them. And I don't know in what moment they lost themselves to do this. I don't know. Honestly don't know in what moment this all happened."
[Ads /]
The suspects have three other children, who are currently in Child Protective Services Custody. Authorities say Briseida is also currently eight months pregnant.
They had a baby girl who passed away in 2015. When asked about the circumstances of her death, De La O declined to comment on the matter and said the investigation was closed.
RELATED: Prosecutors could pull from the past in Thaddeus Sran murder case
The couple is scheduled to be back in court for a pre-preliminary hearing and bail review next Wednesday.
Their bond remains set at $1 million.