Jury convicts father whose baby was found with over 50 rat bites

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE/Gray News) - A jury in Indiana found a father guilty of three counts of child neglect.

David Schonabaum’s 6-month-old son was found with dozens of rat bites on Sept. 13, 2023. According to the arrest affidavit, the 32-year-old had called police after finding his son covered in blood in his bassinet.

Police reported the baby had more than 50 bites on his forehead, cheek, nose, tight, foot and toes. They said his right arm had bites from the elbow down to his hand and all of his fingers had parts missing, with exposed bones.

Prosecuting attorneys asked the jury to hold him accountable for allowing the conditions of the home to become so extreme that it eventually led to tragedy.

In their final arguments, the prosecution said that Schonabaum’s son will be permanently disfigured, due to having to live in what the lawyer described as an “unclean, unsanitary, rat-infested house.”

They argued it was Schonabaum’s responsibility to maintain a healthy environment for the children.

They said he let the conditions worsen “knowingly,” since representatives with the Department of Child Services spent two years telling him to improve the state of the home.

A pest control specialist also gave him 5 to 10 reusable rat traps on two different occasions, and there was no sign of them being used.

In response, the defense asked why the children weren’t removed from the home by child services in the months prior if the conditions were so severe.

They also argued Schonabaum couldn’t have known what would happen, and making big changes costs money, which they didn’t have.

The jury found Schonabaum guilty of one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury for what happened to his 6-month-old.

They also found him guilty of two more counts of neglect of a dependent for the two stepchildren who were also living in the home.

Schonabaum’s sentencing is set for Oct. 2 at 8:30 a.m.

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