Mom of Baby Who Suffered 50 Rat Bites in Bassinet Gets Probation
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10/25/2024 10:14 PM
Angel Schonabaum pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 24 to multiple charges in connection with the 2023 rat attack
Vanderburgh County Jail
Angel and David SchonabaumContent warning: This story contains graphic details.
The mother of a 6-month-old Indiana boy who was left seriously injured after being found with more than 50 rat bites covering his body has been sentenced to probation, authorities said.
Angel Schonabaum pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 24, to one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of neglect of a dependent in connection with the 2023 rat attack, according to a statement shared by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office.
She was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison but was credited for the year she had already served behind bars, per the statement. A judge suspended the remaining three years and ordered Schonabaum to instead serve probation.
The sentencing comes weeks after her husband, David Schonabaum, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in the attack. He was convicted of similar neglect charges and serious bodily injury, according to the statement.
Prosecutors said in the statement that the infant was in the father's care at the time of the attack while the mother had moved out of the home weeks prior.
Related: Indiana Baby Found with More Than 50 Rat Bites Covering His Body
On Sept. 13, 2023, David called 911 from his Evansville, Ind., home, saying he had found his infant son covered in blood in his bassinet, per the statement. The baby had over 50 rat bites covering his body, authorities said.
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According to the statement, the infant's right hand suffered the most traumatic injuries, with all four fingers and the thumb "missing flesh and exposing the fingertip bones."
Indiana news station WLFI News 18 previously reported that police found what looked like rodent footprints in the blood in the bassinet. They also saw clutter, trash and discarded food all over the room that appeared to have been partially eaten by rodents, as well as rodent feces, per the outlet.
The Department of Child Services had already been "providing services to the home to address the safety concerns associated with the conditions of the house," per the statement.
Prosecutors said Angel was "held accountable for the deplorable conditions of the home which she was responsible for when residing there— and for which she was offered multiple services to assist with clean-up of the home and did not cooperate or remove the children from the home. This matter has ultimately resulted in losing custody of her children."
In addition to Angel's sentence, she was ordered to have no contact with her children and undergo a mental health evaluation.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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