Three individuals in Evansville have been arrested and charged with neglect after an infant child was found severely injured from rat bites. Police were called to a home on September 13 after the child’s father, David Schonabaum, discovered his 6-month-old child covered in blood in a bassinet. Officers found the bassinet filled with blood, along with apparent rodent footprints. The room was cluttered with trash and rodent droppings, and several items appeared to have been chewed on. The infant suffered approximately 50 rat bites, including on the face, foot, toes, fingers, arm, and hands, exposing bone. He was flown to Indianapolis for extensive treatment, including a blood transfusion, due to severe blood loss. David Schonabaum, his wife Angel Schonabaum, and her sister Delaina Thurman, all living in the home with a total of five children, were arrested on neglect charges. David Schonabaum claimed they had had a rat problem since March, despite efforts to address it. Records revealed text messages where David described the home as ‘completely overwhelmed with rats’ and said roaches were returning. Terminex employees noted stacked garbage bags in the yard, attracting rodents. All five children were removed from their care. The three adults face various neglect charges, with bonds set at $10,000 for David and Angel and $2,500 for Delaina.
David Schonabaum, Angel Schonabaum, and Delaina Thurman
