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A mother in Evansville, Indiana, pleaded guilty to her role in neglect that led to her infant son being bitten by rats more than 50 times, disfiguring the child, according to prosecutors.
Angel Schonabaum pleaded guilty to three felony counts, including neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, and two counts of neglect of a dependent involving each of her three children.
She was sentenced to four years in prison but was credited for the year she already served behind bars, according to the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office. The remaining three years were suspended, and she was ordered to serve probation. She is not allowed to contact her children.
Also, as part of her deal, Schonabaum was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and follow any recommended treatment.
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On Sept. 13, 2023, Schonabaum’s husband, David Schonabaum, called 911 from his home on Linwood Avenue to report he had discovered his son covered in blood in his bassinet. He told first responders there was a rat infestation inside the residence.
When first responders went into the home, they found his 6-month-old son in the bassinet in a pool of blood with more than 50 rat bites on his face and other parts of his body. All four fingers and the thumb of the child’s right hand were missing flesh with exposed fingertip bones, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors also said Angel Schonabaum was not living in the home at the time of the incident.
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Investigators learned that the Department of Child Services were providing services to the homeowners to address safety concerns at the home, adding that a third party was helping the family. But a representative from the third-party company said that despite their assistance, improved conditions only lasted a short time.
The mother left the home on Sept. 1, 2023, and while she was not at the residence when rats bit the child, she was held responsible for the deplorable conditions after being offered services to help clean up the home and not cooperating or removing her children from the residence.
Because of the failed attempts to eradicate the infestation that led to the incident, Angel Schonabaum lost custody of her children.
David Schonabaum was also found guilty of his role in the infant rat-bite case and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
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“Today, Angel Schonabaum took responsibility for her role in a home [that] was found to be a disgusting and dangerous environment for her three children to reside,” prosecutor Diana Moers said. “Although she was not in the home during the rat-bite incident, it is important to note she is being prosecuted for not providing an adequate living arrangement for her children and has lost custody of them.”
Moers emphasized the importance of keeping a living environment clean and free of trash, feces, debris and other hazards that could harm pets and children. If the conditions cannot be cleaned up and continue to pose a risk to children, Moers said the homeowners will be held accountable.
“While the public may be confused by the sentence of one parent being much more than the sentence of the other parent in this matter, it is important to note that the father in this case was the only one residing in the home during the rat-bite incident – the mother having left and not returned nearly two weeks prior – and thus his case is wholly different than the facts [that] we can hold the mother accountable for,” Moers added.
