Indiana father sentenced to 16 years for neglect after infant found with over 50 rat bites
An Indiana father has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for neglect after the horrifying discovery of his infant son covered in over 50 rat bites. The child, severely injured and permanently disfigured, was found in the family's home in a pool of blood, according to Fox 59.
According to local reports, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) had visited the home just days earlier, following complaints from two of the couple's older children, who told their teachers that "mice bit their toes while they were sleeping." During the visit, the child’s aunt, DelainaThurman had dismissed the concerns, claiming the marks were merely scratches from the bed frame.
The incident occurred in 2023, when police responded to a distress call from David Schonabaum, the father, who reported finding his six-month-old son bleeding heavily. Upon arrival, authorities discovered the baby with severe injuries, including rat bites on his forehead, cheek, and nose. Medical professionals later confirmed that the injuries would likely result in permanent disfigurement.
Prosecutors argued that the father had repeatedly ignored warnings from DCS over the past two years to improve the living conditions in the home, which was described as "unclean, unsanitary, and rat-infested." They stressed the devastating impact of his neglect, highlighting the child’s lifelong disfigurement as a direct consequence of his failure to address the dangerous environment.
The infant’s mother, Angel Schonabaum, has recently accepted a plea deal and is awaiting sentencing in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Thurman, who also lived in the home, received a probationary sentence for her role in the case.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
