Rat Complaints Up 140 Percent in NYC's Chinatown

Eric Lee was surprised when the "check engine" light came on in his brand-new Lexus.

He was even more surprised when his mechanic told him the cause of the problem: Rats had nested in his engine and eaten through his wiring. They’d gnawed through the foam in his engine cover, bitten though parts of the machinery, even left little footprints on the metal.

Lee has lived in Chinatown for the last 40 years — and he parks his car on the local streets. He said he’s always seen an occasional rat in the neighborhood, but lately things seem to be getting worse.

His neighbors seem to agree. The I-Team did some digging and found that 311 complaints about rodents in the area have increased by 140 percent over the last five years – from 228 in 2010 to 549 last year. 

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