City seeks condemnation of rental home where Arkansas infant found with severe rat bites

A city official is seeking the condemnation of an Arkansas rental property where a 15-day-old girl was found severely bitten up to 100 times by rats earlier this month.

In a letter sent out Wednesday to the property’s owner, City Inspector David Nelson wrote that the home at 214 S. Cordelia violated building codes “because [of] holes in walls, unleveled floors [and] plumbing issues."

Nelson added that the property owner, Jim Brewster of Magnolia, has 20 days to fix the violations.

The home in recent days has become part of an investigation after a girl suffered rat bites all over her 5-pound body while sleeping near her parents in a bassinet inside a bedroom.

The parents, Erica Shryock, 19, and Charles Elliott, 18, both face charges of permitting the abuse of a minor and first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.

[DOCUMENT: Read police affidavit detailing the case + new probable cause affidavits]

Shryock and Elliott, who admitted to knowing of a rodent issue inside the residence, did nothing to address the problem, according to police.

Dr. Karen Farst of Arkansas Children's Hospital noted that the baby suffered "severe skin destruction from rat feeding" that happened over hours.

The physician added that, in her opinion, the parents would have had to have been incapacitated or absent to have not been alerted to the child's screams and crying, according to an affidavit.

Another woman lived with the two parents and the girl at the time, court documents show.

The matter against the property is set to go before the Magnolia City Council at 5 p.m. June 26, at which point the home could be condemned.

The inspector added that the city, upon finding that the property is a nuisance, would remove the structure and charge the owner "for the costs thereof, which, if left unpaid, could result in a lien on and against your property."

Nelson said officials are willing to remove the structure for $750 or assist in cleaning up the property.

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