WFIE
Three people in Evansville, Indiana, have been charged with child neglect after an infant under their care almost died after experiencing more than 50 rat bites.
According to Indiana news stationWLFI News 18, David Schonabaum called the Evansville Police Department (EPD) to his home on Sept. 13 after he discovered his 6-month-old son covered in blood in his bassinet.
Schonabuam told EPD officers that he had been using Terminix to treat a rat and mice infestation in his home since March, according to Indiana news stationWNDU.
David Schonabaum.Vanderburgh County Jail
Vanderburgh County Jail
Per14 News, EPD said the infant had more than 50 bites on his forehead, cheek, nose, thigh, foot and toes. The child also had bites all along his right elbow down to his hand with his finger bones exposed.
EPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Angel Schonabaum.Vanderburgh County Jail
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According to 14 News, David and his wife, Angel Schonabaum, were living at the home with their 6-month-old son, as well as a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old. Angel’s sister, Delaina Thurman, and her two kids, a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old, were also residents.
Indiana news stationWNDUreported that the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) visited the Schonabaum residence on Sept. 5, following two of the children telling their teachers on Sept. 1 that mice bit their toes while they were sleeping.
Thurman told the DCS worker that the marks on her child’s toes were most likely scratches from the bed frame, the outlet reported. The case manager then proceeded to go over a safety plan and scheduled another visit on Sept. 14.
Delaina Thurman.Vanderburgh County Jail
After the 6-month-old was taken to the hospital, police booked David and Angel Schonabaum and Thurman at the Vanderburgh County Jail on Thursday on child neglect charges with the Schonabaums’s bonds set at $10,000 and Thurman’s set at $2,500, per WLFI News 18.
According to WNDU, DCS previously looked into the home in 2022 after a claim was made that one of the kids was injured due to a lack of supervision. This resulted in a case manager visiting twice a week since April, with the last time being Sept. 9. A physical abuse claim was made against David Schonabaum in June 2023, the outlet reported.
source: people.com
