Pittsburgh-area woman charged after rats overrun neighbors' properties, police say
A Pittsburgh-area woman has been charged after neighbors said they've been living in a "nightmare," with hundreds of rats from her property spreading to their homes.
Wendi Kraemer, 59, has been charged with public nuisance after the Rostraver Township Police Department said that "trash conditions" at her property on Route 51 have caused a colony of rats to "become established," spreading to residents on nearby Adams Drive.
In the criminal complaint, a Rostraver officer said a code enforcement official reached out on Friday about an ongoing issue with rats at Kraemer's home. Police said they watched a report on KDKA about residents on Adams Drive who said they were overrun by rats from Kraemer's property.
Karen Cain told KDKA that when she looked out her window on May 17, she saw hundreds of rats.
"I couldn't sleep that night," Cain said. "I immediately started searching the house to make sure there wasn't anything in the house."
A few houses down, Jed Allen said he'd been dealing with the rats for even longer. He said when his son was riding his bike, a rat "jumped out of the woods and chased him."
"It started with smells and then all of a sudden we started seeing rats in the driveway when we get home," Allen said. "I'm a plumber. When I say something smells, I mean it, you know. So, I mean, it's like putrid."
In filing the charges against Kraemer, police said residents have been afraid to go outside because of "health and safety concerns." Some people have even left their homes to stay somewhere else, police said. Neighbors have reported seeing rats digging holes around their homes, and they've found dead rats in their yards.
"Many residents have put out traps, poison, and even hired vermin control to protect their properties," police wrote.
When KDKA talked to Kraemer last week, she said the rats were dumped on her property and she has been working with a pest control company. She also said she has filed a lawsuit against the township for harassment.
Court paperwork shows Kraemer has a preliminary arraignment and a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 13.
