Woman says rats chewed on her toes while she slept
By T.W. STARR
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SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — Imagine yourself waking up to find a rat chewing on your toes.
A lawsuit was filed last week by attorney’s for Shreveport resident Michaela Nash, a wheelchair-bound former resident of the Cooper Road Plaza Apartments on Peach Street.
She alleges that she began complaining about rats in April 2023 and then in May, she woke up to find a rat biting on her toe, which she couldn’t feel because of pre-existing nerve damage.
According to the suit, the punctures from the rat’s teeth were deep and Michaela’s blood covered part of the mattress and sheets, eventually causing a bacterial infection, forcing doctors to amputate two of her toes.
Shreveport Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor describes what she saw first-hand with the property standards department of Shreveport on a recent visit to the complex.
“What we saw was horrific. Rats, uneven flooring, sub-floors that looked like they were about to fall in, Holes in the ceiling, gunshot holes throughout the apartment. When you have slumlords that have buildings or rental properties in the city of Shreveport, this is what they do to our citizens,” said Taylor.
The apartment complex was cited for violations and Taylor told KTBS the owner of these and some other apartments in Shreveport is based in New York.
KTBS also spoke with City Attorney Marcus Edwards, he said “representatives from Housing and Urban Development will be in town this week to take the lead on the conditions at these apartments and several others because it’s government subsidized housing.” He also said, “they are looking at additional remedies they can employ against the managers and owners of the apartments.”
KTBS reached out to attorney’s representing Nash and the apartments management company that is based in the Houston area. Neither has returned our calls as of our news deadline.
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