Indiana Baby Boy Nearly Eaten Alive by Rats; Parents, Aunt Face Charges

A heartbreaking incident unfolded in Indiana, where a 6-month-old Indiana baby boy was discovered severely injured and nearly consumed by rats in a home described as "infested" with these rodents.

The child's parents are now facing felony charges concerning this horrifying case.

The Evansville Police Department swiftly responded to a distress call on September 13 by the child's father.

He reported that his baby had suffered severe bite wounds. This grim revelation is based on arrest affidavits acquired by the Evansville Courier and Press, a member of the USA TODAY Network.

The home where this tragic incident occurred is just south of downtown Evansville, approximately three miles from the Kentucky state border.

Both parents, aged 28 and 31, have been arrested and are currently held in the Vanderburgh County Jail.

They face multiple charges related to neglect and other criminal offenses. Jail records show that the father is being held without bond, while the mother's bond has been set at $10,000.

It is currently unclear whether either of the parents has retained legal representation.

Furthermore, the child's aunt, who also resided in the same household in Evansville, has been arrested on similar charges.

Indiana Baby Boy Suffers 'Near Fatal Event'

The infant's ordeal is described as a "near-fatal event" in hospital records, according to AOL.

He was found in his bassinet, lying face down, with numerous bite wounds covering his face and body.

The probable cause affidavits for the father, David Anthony Schonabaum, and the mother, Angel Schonabaum, indicate that the baby sustained over 50 bites on his forehead, right cheek, and nose. He also had multiple bites on his right leg and foot.

The child's left hand exhibited a significant wound on the top of his ring finger, exposing the bone. On his right hand, bites extended from his elbow to his hand.

All four fingers and the thumb on his right hand had lost flesh from the top, revealing the fingertip bones. The index and pinky fingers were the most severely injured, with flesh missing halfway down each finger.

As of Friday, Sgt. Anna Gray of the police confirmed that the baby had been discharged from the hospital and placed in foster care.

Indiana Baby Boy, Not the Sole Victim of Rat Bites

The family's residence on South Linwood Avenue, where the baby's 3- and 6-year-old siblings and 2- and 5-year-old cousins lived, was deplorable.

The home was filled with clutter, trash, and rat feces, as reported by the police. Sgt. Anna Gray described the scene as one of the most disturbing cases of child neglect in her extensive career.

The baby's father informed investigators that they had been dealing with a rodent issue since March, and Terminix exterminators were actively treating the house.

Shockingly, this was not the first time rats had harmed children in the home.

Two children in the household reported to a teacher at their school earlier this month that mice had bitten their toes while sleeping. This information was detailed in the affidavit, the NY Post noted.

Four days later, an employee from the Indiana Department of Child Services visited the residence, where the children's caregiver claimed that the marks on her child's toes were probably just scratched from the bed frame.

A case manager had been visiting the home twice a week since April due to previous reports involving the children, including an incident last year where a child was injured due to lack of supervision and a complaint in June alleging that the Indiana baby boy's father, David Schonabaum, had physically abused one of the children.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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