An Indiana father has been found guilty of child neglect after his six-month-old son was discovered with over 50 rat bites, according to court documents. The jury delivered the verdict on Wednesday, convicting David Schonabaum on three counts of child neglect related to his son and two other children living in the home.
Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Diana Moers described the case as one of the most horrific she had encountered, stating that it would leave a lasting impression on law enforcement and prosecutors. The infant victim was found in his crib, covered in blood from numerous rat bites across his body, including his face, mouth, and extremities. The severity of the bites was such that bone was visible on one hand, leaving the child permanently disfigured.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that the state Department of Children Services had spent two years attempting to persuade Schonabaum to improve the living conditions in the home. Despite receiving several reusable rat traps from a pest control specialist, there was no evidence to suggest that Schonabaum had made any effort to use them.
Schonabaum’s defense team countered that if the home conditions were as dire as suggested, child services would have removed the children from his custody. They also argued that Schonabaum lacked the financial resources to improve the home.
Sentencing for Schonabaum is scheduled for October 2. The mother of the boy, Angel Schonabaum, and his aunt, Delaina Thurman, have also been charged with child neglect. Thurman has pleaded guilty and received a two-year suspended prison sentence, while Angel Schonabaum’s trial is set to commence later this month.
The case came to light when police responded to a call about a baby requiring emergency medical attention at a residence in Evansville in September 2023. The caller, identified as David Schonabaum, reported finding his infant son covered in blood, with what appeared to be fingers chewed off.
Upon arrival, first responders provided immediate medical treatment and transported the baby to a local hospital. He was later airlifted to another hospital in Indianapolis for specialized treatment. Hospital records revealed that the baby had suffered a near-fatal event, requiring a blood transfusion after nearly going into shock.
Back at the residence, police found the baby’s bassinet, located just three feet from the parents’ bed, in a room filled with clutter, half-eaten food, and rat feces. The bassinet contained a large amount of blood, and a nearby diaper disposal container was smeared with blood and appeared to have rodent footprints in it.