Rat-Bitten Baby’s Parents Plead Guilty

A Princeton, W. Va., couple whose infant son’s face was chewed by rats pleaded guilty to child neglect. Prosecutor Charles Smith recommended probation for Frank and Liz Taylor, ages 63 and 32 respectively. The Taylors’ 6-week-old son, Timothy, was attacked by rats on April 4 while he slept in the family’s mobile home, which was described by police as uninhabitable, with no electricity or running water. The baby underwent reconstructive surgery and was placed in foster care, along with the Taylors’ 2-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. The charges carried up to 10 years in prison.