With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Family Files Lawsuit After Bedbug Attack At Disneyland Hotel
Dale (of Chip and Dale) greeting visitors at the Grand Californian Hotel. (Photo by Sam Howzit via the Creative Commons on Flickr)
()
A summer vacation turned into a nightmare for a Bay Area family after they were bitten by bedbugs at a Disneyland hotel, and now they're suing, reports CBS 2.
The alleged incident happened in August of 2014 at the Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim. On Thursday, the Jones family filed a lawsuit at Los Angeles Superior Court alleging battery, negligence, fraudulent concealment, nuisance and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Joseph and Danielle Jones (who are also filing on behalf of their three daughters) said that the first signs of something amiss was when their 9-year-old daughter complained of itchy red bites on her face. The next day, the entire Jones family discovered that they also had insect bites.
The family says that, when they complained to the hotel, they were told to speak with the housekeeping staff, who later told them that the bites could be mosquito bites. After returning home, a doctor confirmed to the Joneses that their insect bites came from bed bugs. The suit claims that the Joneses' youngest daughter has suffered permanent scarring, reports City Service News.
The family says that the hotel had a history of bedbug complaints before they'd arrived in 2014. On the website BedBugRegistry.com, a site for people to self-report suspected bed bug cases, there have been 13 entires since 2010 for the Grand Californian Hotel. As noted in a 2013 Voice of OC article, bedbugs are especially persistent in a tourist town like Anaheim, because people trek in bugs through their luggage. Bedbug incidences spike in the summer, when tourism is at its peak. And it seems that the bedbugs don't discriminate along socioeconomic lines. Voice of OC noted that both the Grand Californian Hotel (which, at the very least, costs about $380 a night) and a nearby Super 8 Motel had a similar number of bedbug reports.
Support for LAist comes from
The problem isn't just centralized in hotels, however. "The public is under the impression that the number one place for bedbugs is hotels, due to media reports," Gail Getty, a consultant and former entomologist at UC Berkeley, told the Voice of OC. "But the real battle is being waged in multi-unit housing. I see it a lot in low-income communities, apartments with 15 to 16 mattresses on the floor." As housing costs increase, some renters are turning to crowded apartment complexes in low-income neighborhoods.
LAist has called and emailed Disneyland about the lawsuit. We will provide updates when we get them.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The historic properties have been sitting vacant for decades and were put on the market as-is, with prices ranging from $750,000 to $1.75 million. -
Users of the century old Long Beach wooden boardwalk give these suggestions to safely enjoy it. -
The Newport Beach City Council approved a new artificial surf park that will replace part of an aging golf course. -
The utility, whose equipment is believed to have sparked the Eaton Fire, says payouts could come as quickly as four months after people submit a claim. But accepting the money means you'll have to forego any lawsuits. -
The City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposal to study raising the pay for construction workers on apartments with at least 10 units and up to 85 feet high. -
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol.
Best of LAist