Overview

• Police found a six-month-old girl covered in blood with bite marks on her arms, head, ears, and face after a large rat attacked her in her home in Belton, South Carolina.
• The girl's twin brother also sustained bite marks on his feet, while both children were living in a single-wide home with a chronic rodent infestation.
• Parents Akayla and Justin Bearden admitted to the ongoing rat problem and were charged with two felony counts of unlawful conduct toward a child.
• The injured baby is recovering at Greenville Memorial Hospital, and all three Bearden children are now in the custody of the Department of Social Services.
• The parents were released on bond but are prohibited from contacting their children, with a court date set for July 31, 2025.