Woman ‘terrorized’ by raccoon just weeks after moving into her apartment

CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - An Ohio woman said she is being terrorized by a raccoon after moving into her apartment less than a month ago.

Alexus Hubbard said she first heard sounds in her ceiling on Feb. 20. She reported them to a landlord before ownership changed.

On March 1, she caught the raccoon on camera crawling into her home through a hole in the wall in her kitchen cupboard.

The raccoon continued its trips in and out of her home every day of the week.

Hubbard said it left a mess throughout the kitchen, bringing in trash from other homes and from outside. The raccoon also defecated and urinated throughout her living room.

She said her son has cerebral palsy, so the health concerns make the issue especially serious.

“He can’t walk,” Hubbard said. “His main method of transportation is crawling. He is not able to go around his own house at all because it’s unsafe for him. I don’t know what kind of biohazards are on the floor.”

She said she reported the issue to Savin Holdings LLC, the company that now owns the building.

According to the Hamilton County auditor’s records, Savin Holdings LLC purchased the building in late February, just a few days before Hubbard reported the raccoon.

Hubbard said the landlord brought a trap for the raccoon on Thursday evening.

She said that was after he had notified her that he had no intention of participating in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which allows Hubbard to live in the apartment at a reduced rate.

She said he asked her if she would pay full rent to continue living in the apartment or seek a residence elsewhere.

WXIX reached out to the owner for comment, but did not receive one.

When the owner brought the trap, Hubbard said he also brought a document notifying her that she had until April 30 to leave the premises or face eviction.

“Coming here and signing a lease, I felt that we had finally found some peace and recourse to enjoy our home,” she said. “Now it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under me, and now I’m not sure if we’re going to have somewhere to live.”

Hubbard said if she finds the raccoon has been caught in the trap, she is supposed to notify the landlord.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, a trapped raccoon must be released on the same property or humanely euthanized.

If you ever have a raccoon in your home, you are asked to open all of your windows and doors until it leaves. If it shows signs of illness or displays a lack of fear of humans, you should contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources or the health department.