Two parents and an aunt are facing charges in a horrible case out of Evansville, Indiana, where a 6-month-old infant was found to have been bitten by rats and coated in blood. On September 13, 2023, the infant boy was discovered face down in his cot, covered in numerous wounds on his body.

In court records seen by TODAY.com and obtained by NBC station WFIE, it was stated that the boy had more than fifty bite marks on his forehead, right cheek, nose, right leg, and right foot. He had serious injuries to his hands, the most severe of which were bites from his elbow down to his hand, exposing the bone in his ring finger and index and pinky fingers.

According to hospital records and the probable cause affidavits, the youngster had experienced a near-fatal episode. David Anthony Schonabaum, the baby’s father, reported discovering the child covered in blood and dialed 911 right away. He acknowledged that there was a rodent issue in their house, which had been properly addressed on several occasions a year.

The mother, Angel Schonabaum, and her three children, together with Delaina Thurman, Angel’s sister, and her two children, all resided in the house. Because of the event involving her son, Angel Schonabaum checked herself into a mental health facility on September 10, 2023, but was released one day early.

The Department of Child Safety (DCS) had visited the residence after two of the kids told a teacher that mice had bitten their toes while they slept. But Thurman brushed the marks off her child’s toes as bed frame scratches.

In their two previous encounters with DCS, the Schonabaums provided verified allegations of physical abuse and neglect against their three-year-old child. Social workers had visited the house and recorded its mess, trash, animal waste, and unpleasant smells; nevertheless, caseworkers also saw that the house was gradually getting better.

In connection with the event, all three of the adults residing in the house are currently facing felony charges; it was not immediately obvious if they were represented by legal counsel. DCS choose not to provide a case commentary.