Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised
EVANSVILLE, INDIANA: David and Angel Schonabaum, the parents of the six-month-old Indiana boy who got nearly eaten alive by rodents, have been arrested on Wednesday, September 13.
As the infant was sleeping in his crib on Wednesday last week, he was bitten by rats more than 50 times, per 14News.
David Schonabaum found son 'covered in blood'
The father and the mother of the boy, along with his aunt Delania Thurman - who also lived in the same house - have been charged with child neglect.
As per the police affidavits, the authorities visited the Schonabaum’s home in the 1600 block of S Linwood Avenue on September 13, when David Schonabaum reported finding his son "covered in blood."
Evansville Police Dept. Sgt. Anna Gray said about the incident, “The only reason that we even knew about it was because the dad woke up and the baby was covered in blood,” before adding, “That was our first involvement, we should’ve been involved. Someone should’ve picked up the phone and called us prior to that.”
The baby was immediately rushed into a hospital from where he was taken to a hospital in Indianapolis.
14News reported that the baby sustained more than 50 bites to various parts of his little body including the forehead, nose, cheek, fingers, thigh, foot, and toes.
The bites in his hands from elbow downwards are severe with the bones of the fingers being exposed due to the attack by the ravenous rats.
His body temperature had dropped to 93.5 degrees and he required blood transfusion.
The infant was not the only child on the property. Besides the baby, it also housed Schonabaum’s two other children aged, three and six.
Angel’s sister Delilah Thurman also lives in the house with her two children, aged two and five.
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Police further described the unhygienic condition of the house saying, it was full of clutter, trash, and rat feces.
Sgt. Gray claimed that it is one of the worst cases of child neglect that she has witnessed in her decades of service,
She said to 14News, “It’s really hard to see that and sometimes it’s really hard to maintain composure and be professional.”
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The parents claim they first had 'rodent problem' in March
David Schonabaum admitted to the police that they started having the 'rodent infestation' in March 2023, and were going through an extermination process by the Terminix exterminators.
On September 1, two children of the house told their teacher about getting bitten by rats.
However, four days later, when the Indiana Department of Child Services visited the property, Angel’s sister said the marks were probably from scratches from the bed frame.
This incident, nonetheless, does not mark the Schinabaaum’s first brush with the DCS. Back in 2022 also, the department dealt with a claim of a child getting hurt due to lack of supervision.
In June 2023, there was a claim against David for physically abusing a child.
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