EVANSVILLE, Indiana— An investigation into why rats bit an Evansville baby more than 50 times has ended after the mother was given a sentence in Vanderburgh Circuit Court.
Last month, Angel Schonabaum took a plea deal. On Thursday, he was given a four-year term. Officials say she was given credit for time she had already served and put on probation.
David Schonabaum, the baby’s father, was found guilty in Vanderburgh Superior Court on October 2 and given a 16-year prison term.
Delaina Thurman, the baby’s aunt, agreed to a plea deal in December 2023 and was given two years of probation that would be deferred.
When David woke up on September 13, 2023, he found his six-month-old son covered in blood and bitten all over by rats. He called the Evansville Dispatch. According to a statement, the baby’s skin was missing from the tops of four fingers and the thumb on his right hand. Sgt. Anna Gray said that several fingers had to be cut off.
The baby almost died and had to get a blood transfer, according to the hospital staff.
The baby got bit on the right face, forehead, nose, fingers, and toes.
During the trial, pictures of the Linwood Avenue home showed that it was a terrible place to live. Prosecutor Ian Blair even called it a “house of horrors.” Pictures showed dog and rat poop, dried blood, dirty floors, and trash cans that were full to the brim.
