A Lakeland senior living facility is infested with bed bugs.
Marilyn Chapel says she began seeing the bugs crawling along her floors in April.
“One had crawled in the crack of the door and I said lord what is this here,” Chapel said she’s seen them in every room of her apartment, up and down the hallway and in her neighbors’ apartments as well.
Since code enforcement cited Renaissance at Washington Ridge with a violation back on April 3rd, 2018 , the 58-year-old says nothing has been done to rid Renaissance at Washington Ridge Apartment complex of the bed bugs.
When Chapel opens up her front door, there are plastic bags everywhere, her bed is stripped and couch cushions tossed to the side.
“They were crawling all up the side my door the baseboards and everything,” she said.
Chapel says she spends most of her time in the kitchen, because on the carpet the bugs eat at her feet. She’s also been sleeping on dining room chairs lined up together since the end of April.
“I sleep every night like this right here, and I have stents, I’m on sugar, I got thyroid, high blood pressure,” Chapel said.
In a letter to the Housing Authority of Lakeland, code enforcement writes “Please eliminate insect infestation (bed bugs etc.) in entire apartment complex."
Code enforcement has confirmed to ABC Action News that nothing has been done to resolve the bug infestation since the violation was written.
The Renaissance at Washington Ridge had scheduled a mandatory meeting for May 17th, 2018 at 1p.m. But shortly after ABC Action News showed up to speak with Ms. Chapel, the meeting was canceled due to an emergency.
When ABC Action News went to the management office to speak with those in charge, we were informed the manager and assistant manger were dealing with the said emergency.
Marilyn Chapel says that she’d like to see the entire building fumigated, but that she doesn’t wish to live in the building after the problem has been taken care of.
“No I don’t want to stay here, I do not want to stay here,” she said.
