Posted on 02/28/2007 9:04:41 AM PST by tobyhill
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Exterminators began sweeping a Kansas City neighborhood infested with rats after one of the rodents crawled into a baby's crib and severely disfigured the girl's face.
Authorities said the girl's parents put her in a crib next to their bed early Sunday and awoke a few hours later, when a heart and breathing monitor alarm went off. The 4-week-old baby, which had been born prematurely, was lying in a pool of blood with her nose and part of her upper lip chewed off.
The parents found rat feces in the crib. Police believe milk or formula that had leaked onto the baby attracted the rodent.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
When I grew up, even though Kansas City was considered "the big city" to people who lived in say Wichita, St. Joseph, Topeka, KS, or other smaller towns but we never felt that it was a "big city" as we were located in neighborhoods where we all walked to school and rode the bus to "Downtown" to shop and always had a "small neighborhood" feel.
Wasn't the baby screaming in pain? How could the parents not hear the chewing and rumbling in the bed next to theirs?
Actually the home of the Pony Express is St. Joseph, Disney was born at Lamar and Joan Crawford in Texas.
If Crawford was proud of living and going to school in Missouri, I never heard of it.
I remember as a small child, mother getting mad at dad for taking the "short" way through colored town. I also remember seeing the big stately homes along Paseo Blvd being trashed out. My oldest sibling graduated from Paseo Highschool and it was long after that they tore the old one down and built a new one. Not too many years past that they had to repeat the process.
I left in 78 and you couldn't pay me enough to go back and live there.
About 5 years ago I spent four months in KC consulting for Sprint. I have to say I really enjoyed the city - it grew on me. I stayed down by CC Plaza, and enjoyed the area, strolling through Westport (used to get a great latte at the Broadway Cafe which I understand is still there). Some fun evenings at some joints over in OP.
The sushi restaurant in the Crown mall was excellent, and I'm from the NY area where there's one on every corner. They had a talented chef and the place was a favorite for athletes when the Chiefs or Royals were playing. Kristi Yamaguchi the ice skater was dining one night at the next table from me. Then there was a night I got food poisoning ordering a bouilliabase at the Casino -- bad idea ordering shellfish at a casino bar 1,000 miles from an ocean.
Some good memories there, and wonderful people. Sad to read your story about how much has declined, though I didn't visit any of the troubled sections.
Agreed. I guess this is for my own selfish comfort. I want to think there were some warning signs which might have prevented the tragedy, whether the parents might have known about them or not. There is something very discomforting about a tragedy that happens "out of the blue" as another poster said. Years ago I read the book, Helter Skelter, about the Manson "Family" and what disturbed me most was the randomness of the choice of victims. I like to fool myself that I can avoid most tragedies in my own life if I am attentive to warning signs or obvious risks. (Yes, I know that is a fools' errand, but I try to imagine I can prevent sorrows in most cases.) I don't mean to impugn the parents, just what are the signs of rat infestation? Or are there none?
A very large RAT chewed his way thru the dryer duct vent. Before we found where he was entering the house, we found large rat droppings along the baseboards and even going up the stairs. We sleep with our bedroom door closed, but the RAT managed to slip under the closed door..We found droppings in our bedroom. It was horrifying.
We bought a Rat poison stick at the local feed store, and the rat ate it, and when he went outside to die.
We have become Cat lovers since that incident. Just last night, our mighty hunter bagged another one..OUTSIDE.
We live bordering the woods..and a creek.
sw
So, they are saying that the baby was in a crib, next to their bed and they didn't hear the baby crying? What, were they wearing ear plugs? They either weren't home or were watching tv in a distant room, ignoring the monitor and the baby's cries.
I take it you haven't been to KC. FYI: Walt Disney is from Marceline, MO. Kansas City is 90 miles from Marceline.
I am and Interior Designer, who researched the history of Alexander Majors, as I was chosen to do the main room in his home during the Designer's Showhouse in the '80s. Rides were also run out from St. Joseph but many, began exactly in the home and business of Alexander Majors.
Who said that?
Disney was a classmate of my mother in Kansas City, MO at Central High School. Of course I didn't identify the city of his birth just the one where he grew up and began his early career. As to Crawford, she also attended school for a number of years and my mother was a friend of her aunt, in Kansas City, MO.
Forgot to add, I have a class photo showing my mother and sitting besides her was none other than Walt Disney. The photo was taken during some school function, in Kansas City, MO, in the 1920s.
Was thinking the same thing. How out of it were these "parents"?
Did you own a cat? I'm wondering if having a cat could have prevented this? Or a rat-terrier type of dog?
A cat might not be able to take on a large rat. A rat terrier would be a better choice.
Small dogs like rat terriers can do em in. The dogs do sometimes have the unfortunate habit of chewing and clawing at furniture, doors and walls to get at their prey. Cats are the best because they have the instincts and patience that is needed to be still and wait for the right time.
We have lived and again live at the edges of wooded areas in a city residential area. Rats and mice as well as racoons have a tendency to come in when winter approaches. One good cat can keep the vermin at bay. Haven't had a problem in years.
I'm a dog guy....cats are verboten :^)
In my town in Indiana someone killed a cat that was living around some grain silo. The people where understandably very upset because the cat was put out there as a mouser and protected the grain from mice and rats. It made me angry because it was just such plain mean thing to do.
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