On September 13, the father of the infant boy saw the six-month-old covered in blood in his cot and phoned Evansville police. After a newborn in their care was nearly killed by more than 50 rat bites, three adults in Evansville, Indiana, were charged with child negligence.
David Schonabaum reportedly summoned the Evansville Police Department (EPD) to his residence on September 13 after seeing his 6-month-old baby covered in blood in his bassinet, according to news.
According to the source, authorities discovered what seemed to be mouse tracks in the blood inside the bassinet. They also saw rat excrement, debris, garbage, and food remnants that looked to have been partially consumed by mice scattered throughout the room. According to Indiana television station WNDU, Schonabuam informed EPD investigators that he had been hiring Terminix to combat a rat and mouse problem in his house since March.
The infant had more rat bites!
According to EPD, the baby had over 50 bites on his foot, toes, thigh, forehead, face, and nose. Additionally, the child's right elbow down to his hand had bites that exposed his finger bones. According to arrest papers acquired by WLFI News 18, the infant's temperature was 93.5 degrees at the time; an infant's typical temperature range is 97.5 to 99.3 degrees. He eventually had a blood transfusion due to how much blood he lost.
The infant was airlifted to another hospital in Indianapolis after being taken to a neighbouring hospital. According to 14 News, EPD Sgt. Anna Gray stated on Friday that the youngster has since been discharged from the hospital.
David and Angel Schonabaum!
A 6-month-old son, a 3-year-old, and a 6-year-old were also residing at the house with David and his wife, Angel Schonabaum. Delaina Thurman, Angel's sister, and her two children, a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old, also resided there.
The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) paid a visit to the Schonabaum household on September 5, according to Indiana television station WNDU, after two kids told their teachers on September 1 that mice nibbled their toes while asleep.
According to the publication, Thurman informed the DCS employee that the bed frame probably caused the scrapes on her child's toes. The case manager then discussed a safety plan and set up a follow-up appointment for September 14.
Child neglect bonds!
After the 6-month-old was rushed to the hospital, police arrested David, Angel Schonabaum, and Thurman on Thursday and placed them in the Vanderburgh County Jail on charges of child negligence. The Schonabaums' bail was set at $10,000, while Thurman's was set at $2,000.
Sgt said the infant was drenched in blood when the father woke up. Gray, who spoke to 14 News. The infant was covered in blood when the father woke up, and that is how we first learned about it, he claimed. We should have been involved, but that was our first participation. Before that, someone should have taken up the phone and phoned us.
The residence was previously investigated by DCS, according to WNDU, in 2022 following a complaint that one of the children had been hurt due to a lack of supervision. Consequently, a case manager began coming twice a week, most recently on September 9. According to the source, David Schonabaum was accused of physical assault in June 2023.