RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Residents living in a strip of rental units in Riviera Beach turned to WPTV for help after they said their apartments were riddled with mice and bugs.
The units are located north of Blue Heron Boulevard off Avenue S.
"They're (mice) on the counters. They're, like, coming into the bathroom while I'm in the bathroom using the bathroom, and that's nasty. My baby's bottles are in the kitchen," said Shaciria Bell, a resident of one of the units. "Termites are out at night, and I feel them. Last night, I'm lying in my bed. I'm tossing and turning because I feel stuff crawling on me."
Bell is a single mother of four children ages 10, 5 and 4, as well as a 3-month-old infant.
"It freaks me out because I don't want my kids living like this. I don't want my kids getting sick," said Bell. "They always ask me, like, 'Mommy, we want a new house. We don't want to stay here no more.'"
WPTV contacted the city of Riviera Beach, which then asked Code Enforcement to look into the issue.
Code Enforcement confirmed the infestation and issued a violation notice asking the landlord to "immediately exterminate property to free it from rodent infestation."
Bell said she's had her father come by to help patch up some of the mouse holes and said when she reached out to her landlord, he hadn't helped with the infestation.
WPTV reporter Joel Lopez called his office, and the man on the phone said he would have him call back, but Lopez has not received that phone call.
"What else do I do from here?" said Bell. "I don't have the money to move. Everything is so expensive."
Bell isn't alone. Neighbors like Tatyana Kearse and her three kids said they see mice and bugs daily.
"I'm scared of mice, I'm scared of all little rodents and stuff and there's big cockroaches that fly and one flew on me today," said Kearse.
Kearse said she moved in less than a year ago and has already decided to move and asked her landlord to get back her security deposit.
"I have a newborn and it's kind of, like, unsanitary to even have them in here," said Kearse.
According to the notice, the landlord has until the end of May to have the properties exterminated or he will have to go before a judge.
"What's the solution to this infestation?" asked Lopez.
"I mean, getting the buildings tented — that's it," said Bell.
