An Indiana mother has received probation after her baby was found with more than 50 rat bites. Angel Schonabaum, 29, from Evansville, pleaded guilty last month to a felony charge of neglect of a dependent.
On Thursday, Vanderburgh County Circuit Court Judge David Kiely sentenced her to four years in prison but credited her with the year already served, suspending the remaining three years for probation, according to the Evansville Courier & Press.
No immediate comment was available from Schonabaum’s attorney.
Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office via AP
Details of the Case
Angel and her husband, David Schonabaum, were arrested in September 2023 after David reported that their 6-month-old son had been severely injured by rats in their home. Subsequently, he was convicted on three felony counts of neglect and sentenced to 16 years on October 2.
The Vanderburgh County prosecutor’s office highlighted that while Angel was not present during the rat-bite incident, she was held accountable for the poor living conditions that contributed to the situation.
Injury Details
The infant sustained over 50 rat bites requiring hospitalization, with severe damage reported on his fingers. One detective noted that the child’s fingertips were exposed, and he had been found in his crib covered in blood with facial bites that caused “permanent disfigurement.” His blood-oxygen levels dropped significantly before medical intervention.
Related Charges
Angel and David had been living with her sister, Delaina Thurman, in a home filled with trash and plagued by a rodent problem. Thurman was also sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to neglect charges.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.