A crib covered in blood with rat footprints and droppings trailing away from it. That's what police in Magnolia, Arkansas allegedly found when they investigated a home where a newborn girl had been bitten dozens of times by rodents.
Little Rock's KARK reported Tuesday that 19-year-old Erica Shryock and 18-year-old Charles Elliott were arrested on suspicion of endangering the welfare of a minor.
The couple's 15-day-old daughter was taken to a local hospital on Sunday with "about 75 to 100 rat bites," a doctor told KARK. The girl needed surgery to close a 1-inch wide wound on her forehead.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published a detailed affidavit that detailed the probable cause that allowed police to search the couple's house. It tells what they found.
Shryock and Elliott apparently knew their house had a rat infestation but didn't do anything about the problem.
Shryock told investigators she woke up to sounds of the baby screaming and found her covered in blood. The pair apparently called Elliott's mother before taking the baby to the hospital, worried that authorities would take the girl from them.
The baby had bites to her face, arms and hands.
Shryock and Elliott are being held on no bond at the Columbia County (Arkansas) Detention Center.
Clint Davis covers entertainment and trending news topics for the Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis.
