Parents arrested after 'large rat' starts 'eating' infant in her bassinet

ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (TCN) -- A couple was arrested after their 6-month-old daughter was hospitalized with rat bites, which caused her "severe injuries."

In a statement, the Anderson County Sheriff's Office said that on Friday, May 9, Akayla Bearden called 911 because she found her daughter in her bassinet covered in blood. The little girl reportedly had bite marks across her arms, the back of her head, her ears, and her face. Medics transported the victim to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where she remains for treatment and recovery.

The Anderson County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division started looking into the situation and learned that the victim wasn't the only one with bite marks on her body. Her twin brother reportedly had some on his feet, too.

Bearden and her husband, Justin Bearden, reportedly admitted to investigators that field rats were an "ongoing issue inside their single wide home for the last several months." However, the couple opted to continue to let their children reside there.

Deputies arrested Akayla Bearden and Justin Bearden on two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child. The victim, her twin, and a third sibling are in custody of the South Carolina Department of Social Services.

WHNS-TV reports the couple bonded out and are not allowed to have contact with their children unless the Department of Social Services authorizes it first.

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