Baby nearly died from blood loss due to rat bites, Indiana officials say. Dad sentenced

The father of an Indiana baby who suffered near-fatal injuries from being bitten repeatedly by rats has been sentenced, court records show.

The Evansville man was sentenced Oct. 2 to 16 years minus one day in prison, court records show. McClatchy News is not naming the man to protect the identity of his son.

A jury found the man guilty Sept. 11 of three felony neglect and child endangerment charges, McClatchy News previously reported.

Authorities responded Sept. 13, 2023, to a 911 call from the man saying he found his 6-month-old son “in his bassinet covered in blood ,” McClatchy News reported, citing a Sept. 11 news release from the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office.

First responders, noticing a rat infestation in the home, found the baby covered in more than 50 rat bites, with his fingertips chewed down to the bone on his right hand, officials said.

The baby “nearly died from blood loss” and “faces permanent injuries from this incident,” according to a medical professional who testified to the severity of the boy’s injuries, officials said.

The man’s defense attorneys said they plan to appeal the conviction and the sentence, WEVV reported.

“This case is horrific, and we will live with the images of this baby forever,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Evansville is about a 175-mile drive southwest from Indianapolis.

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