In a shocking case of child neglect, a man from Indiana has been sentenced to a maximum of 16 years in prison following a rat attack on his six-month-old son, which resulted in disfiguring injuries.
David Schonabaum, 32, was convicted by a jury in September on three felony counts of neglect of a dependent. The infant, who suffered over 50 rat bites, had to undergo treatment at an Indianapolis hospital.
According to The Independent, Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Robert Pigman found no mitigating factors to reduce Schonabaum's sentence. Prosecutor Diana Moers had earlier stated that her office would not hesitate in pursuing the "highest possible sentence." Schonabaum's defense attorney has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The case came to light when Schonabaum and his wife, Angel Schonabaum, were arrested in September 2023. This followed a distressing 911 call from David Schonabaum, reporting that his son had been severely injured by rats in their home. The Indiana Department of Child Services had previously raised concerns about the conditions in the Schonabaum residence.
The extent of the infant's injuries was detailed in a probable cause affidavit by an Evansville police detective. The child's right hand was described as "missing the flesh from the top of them, exposing fingertip bones." Post-conviction, Moers revealed that first responders found the infant "laying in his crib in a pool of blood," with injuries so severe that "they left bone showing on one hand and he is now permanently disfigured.
Angel Schonabaum, 29, also faced the law, pleading guilty to felony neglect charges in September, just days before her trial was due to commence. Her sentencing is scheduled for October 24. This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of child welfare and the severe consequences of neglect.
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