Landlord finds human feces, drug needles in Spokane rental

SPOKANE, Wash. — A massive cleanup is now underway at a home on East Sinto littered with garbage, drug needles, and human waste.

Neighbors say the home, which is less than a block from Stevens Elementary, has been a magnet for drugs and violence. The Spokane County Sherif’s Office evicted the three tenants last week.

“At times we have seen 15 people come out of one unit alone, and people fighting,” said Candice Chapman, who lives next door with her young children. “They are like mice, they just multiply. They are everywhere.”

Liza Hagar has been working to evict the tenants since she began managing the property back in January. Hagar said the three tenants turned the home into a drug den.

“I found thousands and thousands of needles in there,” Hagar said.

Needles, and human feces. The home had no electricity or running water and renters used a five-gallon bucket and a bathtub as a toilet.

“I had so much garbage on the floor that I was walking at least six inches off the floor,” Hagar said.

There’s now mold, mice, and a putrid smell throughout the home. Nearly every wall has been vandalized with permanent marker. Hagar said it took more than two days just to haul all the garbage out – she estimates the damage to be at least $15,000.

“I won’t get anything out of them,” Hagar said. “They are on social security, so they’re protected. So yeah, I could take them to court and get a judgment for the damages, but I would never see anything.”

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