- A baby boy in Indiana hospitalized after suffering over 50 rat bites.
- The infant’s fingers and thumb on his right hand had flesh missing from the top.
- The child’s parents and aunt held in Vanderburgh County jail, in Evansville, Indiana.
A baby was hospitalized after being found with over 50 rat bites in a “near-fatal incident,” according to the Evansville Courier and Press.
Indiana police discovered the six-month-old in a rodent-infested home in Evansville, Indiana, on September 13.
Local police officers arrived at the home after the child’s father called the Evansville Police Department, as stated in an arrest affidavit reported by the Courier and Press. Insider reached out to the Evansville Police Department for comment and is currently awaiting a response.
The baby had more than 50 rat bite wounds, including on the forehead, nose, cheek, thigh, foot, and toes, according to the Mail Online.
According to Detective Jonathan Helm’s affidavit, “All four of (the victim’s) fingers and thumb on his right hand were missing the flesh from the top of them, exposing fingertip bones.” He added, “The damage to (the victim’s) index and pinky fingers were the most severe, as they were missing the flesh halfway down each finger.”
The child’s parents, David Schonabaum and Angel Schonabaum, are facing charges of neglect in Indiana and have been taken to a local jail.
Delaina Thurman, the boy’s aunt who lived with the Schonabaums, is also being charged with child neglect.
The child was initially taken to a local hospital by paramedics, but according to Police Sgt. Anna Gray in a statement to USA Today, the baby has been released from the hospital and is now in foster care.
According to USA Today, Child Protective Services (DCS) has also removed the other children living in the home from their parents’ care.
“I’ve been an officer for 20 years, and we’ve seen some serious neglect cases, but nothing where it involved rats feeding off a child,” said Gray. “It’s horrible.”
Gray mentioned that the parents’ excuse was that they did not hear the child cry, as the home was overwhelmed with rodents, as reported by The Mail Online.
Before this incident, the DCS had already been monitoring the family, and Maglinger Behavioral Health Services had been conducting twice-weekly checks of the residence since April, according to the Courier and Press.
Neighbors interviewed by local news outlet 14 News appeared unaware of the situation, with one neighbor stating, “They have always been nice. They have always been cool. I have always seen her take care of that baby.”
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