ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — A baby girl is still in the hospital following an attack by a field rat while she was in her bassinet, according to South Carolina deputies.
According to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a home in Belton early Friday morning.
Officials said the girl’s mother called 911 after finding the child and her bassinet covered in blood.
“A 6-month-old infant is in recovery at the hospital after a sizable rat [began] biting the child inside a Belton residence early Friday morning,” the sheriff’s office reported in a news release. “The bite marks cover the infant’s arms, the back of her head, ears, and face.”
The child was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital for her injuries; her condition is unknown at this time.
After investigators interviewed the parents, they learned that the baby’s twin brother had bite marks on his feet.
The sheriff’s office noted that, according to the parents, rats had been an ongoing issue in their home for the last few months.
Deputies charged 24-year-old parents Akayla Bearden and Justin Bearden with two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child.
Their three children are now in the custody of the Department of Social Services.
No additional information was immediately available.
