Mother says mold in apartment is making child sick

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A Doraville mother says her moldy apartment is making her and her children sick.

Ethaca Truitt says she has been complaining about the apartment to management at Sonoma Ridge for months. She says they won’t let her out of her lease and want to charge her an increased monthly rent to move her to a new apartment.

“Water is right here. This is where my mom sleeps. She is 76 years old and there is water soaked right through the carpet. We don’t know where the water came from,” Truitt explained to Channel 2’s Rachel Stockman.

On Sunday night, the rug in the bedroom was covered with a towel. Truitt says water has been seeping in after this weekend’s rain.

“We are still in this nightmare. It is ridiculous. I’m tired of it and there is nothing we can do. It’s a nightmare,” Truitt said.

Truitt gave us a report from an inspector with Dekalb County’s Department of Environment Health. The inspector noted water leaks, and recommended that all of the leaks be found, and the water-damaged materials be removed and replaced.

Truitt says on Thursday maintenance painted over the mold. By this weekend, she says the leaks were back.

“You just came down and painted over it. You are insulting my intelligence by saying that’s it gone now. You painted over it,” Truitt said.

Since before the July Fourth holiday, Stockman has been calling and leaving message about Truitt’s situation, but has not received a call back.

“I don’t want to stay here another day. I don’t want to stay here another month,” Truitt said.

WSBTV