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Burning Possibly Bedbuggy Mattress May Be Arson
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 28, 2010
Modified Oct 28, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 28, 2010
Modified Oct 28, 2010
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Bed bugs are unnerving and disgusting to even contemplate. Which is probably why public housing building cleaner Miriam Ortiz decided to set fire to a mattress she suspected might be infested with bedbugs. But it's also a public safety hazard. The Daily News reports the 36-year-old was hit with "felony arson and reckless endangerment charges... for the Sept. 8 blaze in the Manhattanville houses." A source said she had a "fear of bedbugs" and was lazy—instead of disposing of the mattress properly (we imagine it'd involving wrapping it with plastic and bringing to the trash), she just used a lighter to destroy the mattress in a "partially-enclosed hallway" on the 10th floor of one of the buildings.
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arson
bedbug
bedbugs
fire
manhattanville houses
mattress
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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