Pregnant mother says Richmond apartment is infested and has no AC: 'It's not healthy or safe right now'

RICHMOND, Va. -- Just days away from delivering her second set of twins, a Richmond mother says she’s worried about bringing her newborns home.

From the air conditioning unit in her living room not working for over a week to issues with mice and various bugs, Te'Naisha Knight says she doesn't feel comfortable raising two toddlers and two infants in the current condition of her apartment at Oliver Crossing on Coalter Street.

"It's just really disturbing. It’s not healthy or safe right now. It’s not. It’s very disgusting truthfully," Knight said.

"The A.C. has clocked out, it's very hot and disturbing in here, I have roaches, I have mice, I have gnats."

Living in the apartment since November 2022, Knight said despite keeping her apartment clean and putting in work orders for pest control, the issue remains.

"I would like to unpack my children's things and not have them in boxes, and be able to put up the cribs," she said. "I don't want to put up the cribs one day and have a mouse run past or anything happens."

She said even at nine months pregnant she finds herself having to put down traps and boric acid to try and get rid of them. "I have boric acid everywhere right now, in my bathroom, kids' room," she said as she no longer allows her children to stay in their rooms anymore.

With temperatures still warm and Knight due in just a few days, she says the air conditioning unit in her living room that went out completely on Tuesday needs to be fixed.

"It’s an emergency for them to fix it," she said. "I wouldn't bring two newborns in here at all, then their health would be in jeopardy, and my two-year-old twins would be in jeopardy."

On top of the other issues she’s dealing with, Knight said the dark spots appearing on her nursery walls and, in her bathroom, bother her the most. "Knowing that I deliver in less than a week and my apartment looks and feels like this, it doesn't make me feel good," she explained.

Knight said she reached out to CBS6 after putting in work orders for these things and the work not being completed.

"I just wake up, shower, brush my teeth, and it's like still the same issues, still the same problems," Knight said. "I’m in here trying to scrub, I’m in here trying to clean, putting my own self at risk."

Fearful of bringing her newborn babies and toddlers home, Knight said she is desperate for things to be fixed as soon as possible.

"It does make me sad thinking about it, a lot," she explained. "I want them to feel like they can come home and have a safe space but as of right now, I wouldn't bring them in here at all."

I reached out to Oliver Crossing management and was told Knight would be put on the list for pest control and that the issue would be taken care of next Wednesday.

As for the air conditioning and spots on her walls, I was told they would be contacting her Thursday to take a look and get it fixed.