Woman cleans out her late mother’s home. Then she opens a freezer in the storage area and finds what’s been inside for 20 years: ‘It’s unbelievable’

A woman in Allariz, Spain, came across the remains of an infant while she cleaned out the house that had belonged to her late mother. She located the remains inside a freezer that stood in a ground-floor storage area of the building, according to PEOPLE.

Spain’s Civil Guard confirmed the basic facts of the case. The national news agency EFE, along with La Región and La Voz de Galicia, carried the initial reports.

Early police assessments placed the infant at roughly 32 to 34 weeks at the time of death. Officials also said they believe the remains may have been inside the freezer for more than 20 years, La Región reported.

Officials examine the remains and seek the parents under a confidentiality order

The remains were taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine of Galicia for a complete autopsy. Authorities hope the results will clarify whether the infant was born alive, whether death stemmed from natural causes, and whether any negligence was involved.

Investigators are also trying to identify the biological parents. They intend to rely on DNA testing and on interviews with family members, according to La Región. Freezer discoveries like this have surfaced elsewhere, including one case in which a man kept his mother’s body in a freezer for nearly three years.

A judge directed that the investigation stay confidential. The order restricts the amount of information that can be released publicly, EFE, La Región, and La Voz de Galicia stated. Once the autopsy finished, the infant was buried in a municipal cemetery on Thursday, November 5, La Voz de Galicia reported.

Residents of the small town described their reaction to the news. The find came during the annual fall festival, which left many people especially unsettled. One resident told La Voz de Galicia, “It’s like the script of a horror movie; it’s unbelievable that something like this could happen.”

The owner of a local café added a similar sentiment. “We are all shocked and surprised,” the café owner said. The Civil Guard continues to handle the case while the confidentiality order remains in effect, and no further details on the cause of death or the parents’ identities have been made public.