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A Bronx mother says she’s afraid to fall asleep at night, terrified that rats crawling through her Concourse Village apartment could hurt her children.
Simone says the infestation inside her apartment at 1173 Walton Ave. has been ongoing for nearly five years.
“They come in and it’s a free-for-all,” she said.
The rats ran across her stove, through her pantry and constantly eat everything.
“I feel like if I fall asleep, then God forbid my kids are going to get bitten,” Simone said.
Unfortunately, that nightmare became a reality for Simone two years ago. Her 15-year-old son with autism was bitten on the leg by a rat while sleeping. According to Simone, the antibiotics prescribed afterward caused a severe allergic reaction that left him in pain and wearing a medical boot for weeks.
“I can’t risk my kids getting bitten again,” she said.
Simone says she first complained to HSC Management Corporation about the infestation four years ago. Since then, more than 540 complaints have been filed at the building, according to city records.
She claims management has only temporarily addressed the problem by stuffing steel wool into holes she believes rats are using to enter apartments.
“They don’t actually take the problem seriously and exterminate it… they just put a Band-Aid on it,” Simone said.
Management also posted a letter in the hallway blaming trash left in common areas for worsening the infestation.
Simone says rats are not the only issue inside the apartment. She says mold has been growing on the walls and ceiling of her bathroom for years, causing her family to get sick.
In March, bathroom tiles came crashing down while she was showering — exposing another hole she believes rodents are using to get inside.
“Nothing has happened. No one has come to do repairs two months later,” she said.
News 12 reached out to HSC Management Corporation for comment but has not received a response.