Parents arrested after baby girl rushed to hospital with severe rat bites and covered in blood

A couple have been arrested after their 6-month-old baby was found with severe bites and covered in blood in her cot.

On Friday, May 9 police rushed to the home in Belton after recieving a distressing call from the who reported that her 6-month-old child was covered in blood. When officers arrived the baby required immediate medical attention and was rushed to Greenville Memorial .

The baby, who has not been named, was covered in blood and had bite marks on her arms, head, ears and face, according to police. The sheriff’s office said a “large rat started eating the child.”

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While at the property officers also found another child, a twin of the 6-month-old, with bite marks on his feet. Akayla and Justin Bearden allegedly admitted to deputies that they knew rats were an ongoing issue inside their home for the last several months, the police statement alleges.

Akayla Bearden and Justin Bearden, both from South Carolina, were arrested by officers on two charges of unlawful conduct toward a child after authorities say "a large rat starting eating" their 6-month-old baby, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

All three of their children are in the custody of the department of social services, according to the sheriff’s office. The 6-month-old girl will remain in the hospital for several days as the case is under investigation, reports

Akayla and Justin were granted bond on May 13, according to , and banned from having contact with their kids. They are set to go back before a judge on July 31.

It comes after police confirmed a woman has been The tragic incident happened on August 30, 2022, when the baby boy, who has not been named, was under the care of Teresa Louise Biswanath, who was running an unlicensed in-home nursery. The defendant previously worked at a well-known childcare center where she underwent extensive training, including safe sleeping techniques for infants.

Prosecutors stated that the boy was under her supervision when she "squeezed [him] into a swaddle much too small for his size" which was "designed for newborns less than three months old who could not roll over or crawl as he could.

Biswanath claimed that she had previously worked at a "well-known childcare center" where she received "extensive training, including safe sleeping techniques for infants," according to a shared on Tuesday. The Washington County District Attorney’s Office expressed its deepest condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones.

Biswanath, from Oregon, has been found guilty of criminally negligent homicide. The 46- year-old woman from Oregon has been handed a two-year prison sentence following the infant's death.

Anyone who is concerned about child abuse can contact the on 0808 800 5000. Alternatively, you can get in touch with Childline on 0800 1111. If the person is in immediate risk, call the police on 999.