Baby found with more than 50 rat bites on body, Indiana officials say. Dad found guilty
A jury has found an Indiana father guilty of neglect after prosecutors said his infant son was found “in a pool of blood” with more than 50 rat bites on his body.
On Sept. 11, the Evansville father was found guilty of three felony neglect and child endangerment charges, according to a news release from the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office.
McClatchy News reached out to the man’s attorney for comment Sept. 13 but did not immediately hear back. McClatchy News is not naming the man to protect the identities of the children involved.
On Sept. 13, 2023, authorities responded to a 911 call from a man saying he found his 6-month-old son “in his bassinet covered in blood,” officials said.
First responders noted a rat infestation in the house and said the baby was in a “pool of blood with over 50 bites to his body including his face,” officials said.
The baby’s fingertips on his right hand were gnawed down to the bone, according to officials.
“The 911 call which came in from the father severely downplayed the dire scene at home,” officials said.
A medical professional who testified to the severity of the injuries at the father’s trial said the baby “nearly died from blood loss” and “faces permanent injuries from this incident,” authorities said.
Three other children in the home, which authorities said was in “deplorable, unlivable condition,” had also been bitten by rats, according to the release.
Officials said the Department of Child Services was working to address safety concerns in the home at the time of the incident, but the problems were never resolved.
“This case is horrific, and we will live with the images of this baby forever,” the prosecutor’s office said.
The man’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2, court records show.
Evansville is about a 175-mile drive southwest from Indianapolis.
