Overview
- An exterminator invited by neighbors documented heavy contamination inside the house, including video of a rat drinking from a faucet.
- The pest control expert said the rodents appear habituated to humans and estimated the population in the hundreds, possibly 300 to 1,000.
- Residents report rats nesting in vehicles, chewing wiring, and leaving feces and urine on nearby properties, raising health and safety concerns.
- The city has cited the property as a public nuisance and gave roughly 30 days for correction, according to a code enforcement officer.
- Three occupants were hospitalized in late October, and neighbors say the family's financial and mental-health challenges have delayed cleanup, though they have granted permission to proceed.