New York City landlord issued arrest warrant after tenants make jaw-dropping complaints about rats and leaking sewage
NEW YORK -- An arrest warrant was issued for a Washington Heights landlord after tenants said they're dealing with giant cracks in the wall, sewer water leaking and trash all over the place.
Conditions inside some of the apartments owned by Daniel Ohebshalom were jaw-dropping. Officials said there are more than 700 violations at two buildings he owns at 705 and 709 170th Street.
"Rats, there's leakage, there's asbestos. It's really bad. We have gone sometimes weeks without hot water because they're negligent," a tenant named Nelly said.
Nelly lives on the first floor at 709 170th Street. She shared pictures with CBS New York of the decrepit conditions that led New York City to issued an arrest warrant for Ohebshalom.
The pictures are stomach-turning. They show rats caught on tar paper Nelly puts on her kitchen floor, the rat holes they live in, and falling plaster in her kitchen.
Then, Nelly took us into her living room and pointed to a pipe from the apartment above hers.
"I get feces leakage from upstairs," she said. "Sometimes I don't even want to even take a shower with the water because it comes out brown."
We also found open trash cans that attract rats, standing water filled with debris, debris in the hallways, broken locks and more.
The city said it finally issued a warrant for Ohebshalom's arrest after years of unsuccessfully trying to get him to fix things.
"The worst landlord in New York City is Daniel Ohebshalom. Just in two buildings, he's got over 700 C violations, which are dangerous life, health and safety violations. We caught up with him. He's facing $3 million in fines and penalties and he's going to jail for 60 days," said Adolfo Carrion Jr., commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
Officials said Ohebshalom will be sent to Rikers Island.
Another one of Ohebshalom's properties is on West 46th Street in Hell's Kitchen.
"He owns a large portfolio and we have continuing investigations and work with all of the properties. We will continue this march," said Carrion.
Assembly Member Tony Simone said he's glad the city is finally doing something.
"Folks like him should not own apartment buildings. He's a criminal. He is a slumlord," said Simone. "If you saw the conditions of the tenants in my district, they're abysmal. No human being should live like that and every excuse in the book has been given on why he hasn't kept his apartments up to full repair and their all BS."
Officials said Ohebshalon is currently in California and that they're working with local authorities to extradite him.
We left messages for Ohebshalon at his offices in Manhattan and California, but our calls were not returned.
