A six-month old baby in the US state of Indiana was nearly eaten alive by rats while sleeping in his bassinet.
Content warning: This story discusses child abuse and contains graphic language which may be distressing to some.
According to ABC’s WRTV, the Evansville Police Department was called to a residential address on September 13.
The baby’s father, David Schonabaum, told dispatchers he found his son in his crib covered in blood. He said he believed his son's fingers may have been chewed off.
The baby was taken to a local hospital and later flown to a dedicated children’s hospital for medical care.
Documents sighted by WRTV state the infant suffered more than 50 bites to his forehead, right cheek and nose. He reportedly had two bites to his right thigh and several bites on his right foot and toes.
Further documents stated the boy’s right hand suffered “the most traumatic injuries with numerous bites starting at his elbow and going down to his hand. All four of his fingers and thumb on his right hand were missing the flesh from the top of them, exposing the fingertip bones. The damage to his index and pinky fingers were the most severe, as they were missing the flesh halfway down each finger.”
According to hospital records, the infant needed a blood transfusion due to his blood loss and he nearly died.
Court records state the family told detectives they had a rodent problem which began in March 2023 and contacted a local pest eradication company.
The documents also revealed the parents, Angel and David Schonabaum, had been confronted by the Department of Child Services (DCS) numerous times.
In December of 2022, DCS filed a claim of neglect after another of their children was injured due to lack of supervision. The parents were also being monitored for an unsanitary home, including clutter, animal faeces on floors, and foul odours.
According to Evansville police, the infant was released from the hospital and placed in a DCS safe home.
SHARE ME