A South Carolina couple allegedly allowed their infant twins to be gnawed on and bloodied by “large rats” and are now facing criminal charges, according to a report.
Anderson County Sheriff’s officers found a 6-month-old baby girl covered in blood after “a large rat started eating” her while she lay in a bassinet — suffering bite marks to her arms, head, ears, and face, WSMV reported.
The girl’s twin brother also had large bite marks on his little feet, the local outlet reported, citing the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
Akayla and Justin Bearden, both 24, told cops that field rats have been a persistent issue in their home for several months, with the concerned mother finally phoning the cops for help on Friday, according to the news station.
The girl was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where she remained for several days, cops said.
Both 6-month-old infants and the couple’s third child are now in the custody of the Department of Social Services, the outlet stated.
Each parent was charged with two counts of unlawful conduct towards a child and have been barred from contact with their children unless ordered by DDS, Fox Carolina reported.
On Tuesday, each parent was granted bond and is set to return to court on July 31, Fox reported.
An Indiana father in a similar case — whose infant son was left permanently disfigured and nearly died of blood loss after rats bit him over 50 times — was sentenced to decades behind bars in October.
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