Allegations Of Bed Bugs At Pearl Apartments

PEARL, MS - Kelly Lancaster and her husband and children lived in apartment 49 at the Colonial Terrace Apartments in Pearl for several months, but moved out Thursday.

She says the apartment is full of bed bugs, and her family is covered with bites.

"We have a one-year-old, she's gotten bitten up really bad in her face, all over her back," Lancaster says.

"I mean this is awful. I had to buy scar cream," she says, showing us the welts on her back, arms, and legs.

Pamela Freeman lives directly upstairs.

"I had to put tape up where they were coming in at," she says, showing us where she has sealed up her home in the corners and around the windows. She also sprays her bed every night, but she says the bed bugs still get in.

"Each time they feed, they shed. They grow," Freeman says. "My neighbor, she's got (bites) all over her."

Lancaster and Freeman say they've complained to management about it, and efforts have been made to treat the problem.

"They came in, heated our apartment to 140 degrees twice, sprayed some type of kerosene. It did nothing. We've thrown out our beds, everything," Lancaster says.

Albert Moore owns the apartment complex.

"We do have problems, we have had a problem with bed bugs that were brought in with people in their furniture. When we are notified of this, we treat those with heat," he says.

Moore disputes Lancaster and Freeman's claims. He says Lancaster lived in the apartment illegally until she was kicked out this week. He says Freeman and her boyfriend owe hundreds of dollars in rent, and he's evicting them.

Moore says, aside from speaking to Freeman earlier this week, he denies getting any complaints about bed bugs from either one of them, and no further action is planned regarding the bed bug allegations.

Freeman and Lancaster say they've called the Mississippi Department of Health and the Attorney General's Office, but they haven't yet been able to find any help.