Palm Springs family says rat infestation caused severe illnesses and forced them out of their home

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - A local family reached out to News Channel 3 for help, saying that a rat infestation has forced them out of their apartment.

News Channel 3’s Tori King met with the tenants, Arron Sletton and Briana Lasko, who first moved into the home in the summer. They began noticing a weird smell and scratching noises. They say after living there for several months they began having health issues, including runny noses, headaches and seizures.

"We started to just get sick," said Sletton. "We have two small dogs. They were having stomach problems, we were having health issues and sinus problems."

"My sons and I, we started to develop like these lung issues," said Lasko. "I got sick, then Joseph got sick. Lincoln was sick. We couldn’t get over it, back and forth to the doctors. I got a weird rash, and I had a fainting spell in the kitchen out of nowhere."

The couple says they also took their son to the hospital after he experienced seizures, and a doctor told them alarming news.

"I got a call from a doctor out of Desert Regional, who I will not say the name of, because she has not given me consent yet," said Lasko. "She told me, 'Mom, I wanted a call to clinically diagnose Joseph with Parvo disease.'"

Eventually the couple decided they had to figure out the root of the problems.
"I’m like, there’s little scratching in the walls," said Lasko. "I told Arron that he was going to have to pull out the dishwasher, because I have been smelling something super strong from this area, and I know something is there. So lo and behold, is when he pulls out the dishwasher we find an entire rats nest behind it."

"Rat droppings went from this corner over here," explained Sletton. "There was a entry hole where they had chewed through the drywall down at the bottom, and there was an entire nest here, all under the bottom plank and an even bigger nest in this corner. And all under our cabinets, all the walls were full of mold."

The couple says after several attempts to tell the landlord about the issue, the landlord did eventually hire a pest control company to take care of the rats, forcing them to live in a hotel and with family for several months without compensation.

Now the family says the apartment remains in disarray, and that they are being evicted for missed rent payments.

"It’s just, it’s been a whirlwind," said Lasko. "We haven't had stable housing, and the landlord put us in a motel without a fridge or microwave, and we've had to pay for the rest ourselves. Our clothes and furniture are all contaminated, and we have no way to pay for them to get cleaned properly. We can't afford all this. I my car got repossessed, and then, because I had to take off so much time from work with me having like these lung issues and my kids being sick and back and forth to the doctor and stuff like that, my job let me go."

News Channel 3 did go to the apartment to see the unit in person, and the apartment had several open walls and holes in the kitchen cabinets. The rodent droppings and mold had been cleared out. The couple also claims the landlord never gave them an estimated completion date for other repairs.

News Channel 3 tried reaching out to the landlord today, but they didn’t answer the phone.
Arron and Briana have found more stable housing, but they say they are looking for answers, and a way to get their belongings back.

"They're not doing anything," said Lasko. "They're just at a standstill, and they have hired an attorney and we haven't heard anything in days. I don't even want money. I just want help."

Here are some signs to look out for if you think you may have a rat infestation in your home:

1. Eaten citrus: Citrus is a highly nutritious and a good food source for rats. If you see eaten citrus fruit it could be from rats or birds. 

2. Noises: If you have rats in the attic, you’ll start to hear rats scratch or squeaks around usually at night. 

3. Damages: Seeing physical damages to wiring, wood framing, and furniture is a red flag! Rats also like to utilize some of these for their nest.

4. Grease marks: Rats have crease and dirt on their bodies and it tends to leave grease marks on walls or small spaces.