Woman claims disabled mother lives among rats at local apartment complex
BRIGHTON HEIGHTS, Pa. (KDKA) - A daughter is speaking out, claiming her disabled mother is living with rats in her apartment and that the property isn't doing enough to fix it.
Diana Lowe said her 69-year-old mother, Deborah, known as Katy, lives at Riverview Manor in Brighton Heights, owned by National Church Residences.
Katy is paralyzed with high-skilled nursing needs, and Diana claims they've been dealing with mice and rats in her apartment since before Christmas.
They said they have caught 20 rats.
"She asked me the other day, she had like a revelation, this mouse can come up in the bed with me. And I said, 'Unfortunately, absolutely. And I said, "We're doing everything we can to keep that from happening,'" Diana said.
Diana said the property sent an exterminator to treat the apartment with glue traps and bate the basement in mid-January, but the rats are still coming through.
Diana also said the property told her water damage over the summer created three holes in the building, which were only recently fixed.
"It's more than my mom? My mom has us. We're putting traps down that are catching the mice. There are people here that don't have family, that have families who are out of town, families who don't exist, you know, and who's advocating for them?" Diana said.
Diana contacted the Allegheny County Health Department. She said they told her it isn't a high emergency.
KDKA reached out to the health department as well, but so far no response.
In a statement to KDKA Saturday night, a spokesperson for National Church Residences said the following.
"The property has a preventative maintenance program with Orkin exterminators to prevent more infestations."
They also say they've scheduled an appointment on Monday for Orkin to come out to the unit, and they will assess any potential access points, remove any existing concerns, and place more traps.