Cape Coral inspecting woman’s rat-infested house on Malibu Court

The City of Cape Coral is inspecting a woman’s home on Malibu Court after neighbors reported that she is living with no water, no electricity and a rat infestation.

The house is just south of El Dorado Parkway East, not far from the Cape Coral Yacht Club. The Cape Coral Police Department performed a welfare check in February, but officers said there was nothing severe enough to make them step in.

A notice of violation was given, however, and Tuesday’s inspection was scheduled. Neighbors living on Malibu Court are frustrated, saying rats have taken over. They called WINK News—as well as CCPD, the city government and Cape Coral Code Enforcement—to say the problem worsened dramatically after Hurricane Ian, which heavily damaged the home.

One neighbor, Gary Anderson, says he has seen the woman treating the rats as her pets, and he thinks it’s heartbreaking.

“There’s no running water, there’s no gas or electric in the home; the utilities have all been shut off, and she is living there outside on the ground,” Anderson said. “She goes down to the canal, drinks water out of the canal, she actually feeds the rats. The neighbors tell me that she believes that they are her pets.”

Anderson and others living on Malibu Court have tried to help the woman by giving her food, water and clothes. On some days, she appreciates it. At other times, she gets upset.

“To bring light on the situation for the lady so we can get the best help for the lady that she deserves,” Anderson said. “If this was your mother or your grandmother or your aunt that was going through something like this… she has no family, from what we understand.”