Overview

• A 6-month-old infant in Belton, South Carolina, suffered severe injuries from a field rat attack in the family's single-wide home last week.
• The injured baby girl remains hospitalized at Greenville Memorial Hospital, while her twin brother also showed evidence of rat bites.
• Parents Akayla and Justin Bearden were charged with two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child and released on personal recognizance bonds on May 13, 2025.
• The couple's three children have been placed in the custody of South Carolina's Department of Social Services, with the parents barred from contact unless approved by social services.
• The parents admitted to ongoing rat infestations in their home for months, raising broader concerns about housing conditions and child welfare oversight in low-income communities.