Two Condemnation Notices Later, a Steelton Home’s Rat Problem Became a Criminal Case
A condemned home in Steelton, Pennsylvania, drew police back on April 15 after someone complained about a strong odor. Inside, investigators described a severe rat infestation, including more than 150 rats reportedly kept in cages and several hundred animals across the property.
Siblings Jennifer Busch and Thomas Busch now face charges including aggravated cruelty to animals and recklessly endangering another person. Neighbors said the problem had already spread beyond the house, with rats and odors reaching nearby properties.
The South Harrisburg Street home had been condemned since July 2025. Another notice followed in October.
By the time police stepped inside, this was no longer just a problem behind one front door.
Officers Found Rats, Waste and Damaged Wiring Throughout the Home
What investigators described was far beyond a small infestation tucked into one room.
Police said rats were being kept in overcrowded cages while others moved around the property. Feces, urine, and nesting material were reportedly spread throughout the home.
There were dead animals, too.
According to the investigative record, some rats appeared to have been partially eaten by other animals. Investigators also said carcasses had been stored in a deep freezer.
An animal cruelty officer described seeing rats roughly the size of small cats and believed they were likely Norway rats, often called sewer rats.
The condition of the house raised another concern. Police alleged rats had chewed electrical wiring, creating a possible fire hazard, while urine and ammonia had damaged sections of flooring.
Those descriptions are part of the criminal case and remain allegations unless proven in court.
The Rat Count Was Large, but Never Exact
The numbers are dramatic enough without making them more precise than the record allows.
Jennifer Busch reportedly told investigators that she had been caring for the rats and had more than 150 in cages.
Authorities separately described several hundred rats across the property, including animals outside cages.
That does not necessarily mean 150 caged rats plus several hundred more. The larger figure appears to describe the broader scale investigators encountered.
No authoritative final count has been published.
What is clear is that police described a large infestation involving caged rats, loose animals, dead rodents and extensive nesting material.
That distinction matters because the story does not need inflated numbers to sound extraordinary. The documented conditions are striking enough on their own.
The House Had Already Been Condemned for Months
For neighbors, the timeline became nearly as important as what police found inside.
Court documents say the home was condemned in July 2025 because of rats and unsafe living conditions. Another condemnation notice followed in October.
Police returned the following April after the odor complaint.
That sequence left residents questioning why the situation was still serious enough months later to require the response investigators ultimately described.
Borough Manager Myneca Ojo addressed the issue after taking office.
“I addressed it when I came in. I’ve been here since March 30th,” she said.
There is no verified evidence showing borough officials ignored the property. The record does show that the home had been condemned well before the April police response and that residents remained frustrated by how long the problem continued.
Neighbors Said the Problem Reached Their Homes
For people living nearby, the rats were no longer somebody else’s private problem.
Residents said rodents were appearing in yards and getting into nearby properties.
The smell traveled as well.
Reporters at the scene observed rats emerging from the property and noticed a strong odor around the area.
Marie Flemister, who lives nearby, described the frustration bluntly.
“For 13 years, it’s been hell,” she said.
Her comment reflects her own experience. It does not establish that this particular documented infestation continued uninterrupted for 13 years.
Another resident summed up the feeling of living beside the property in fewer words.
“Just a little wall is protecting us.”
That line captures why the case resonated beyond the details inside the house. Neighbors were not simply hearing about an infestation. They said they were living beside its effects.
Steelton Officials Called It a Public Health Concern
Once the rats and odor were affecting the surrounding area, officials stopped treating the situation as just another property problem.
Mayor Ciera Dent described the situation directly.
“What we are dealing with is not just a property issue, it is a public health concern,” she said.
No verified rodent-borne illness has been connected to the property.
The concern instead came from what officials and residents were already describing: a large rodent population, animal waste, structural damage and reports that rats were turning up beyond the house itself.
Professional remediation eventually covered both the inside and outside of the property.
Borough officials estimated the work would cost between $15,000 and $20,000.
Exterminators spent weeks at the site, and by early June, neighbors said conditions had improved.
That did not resolve every question, but it marked the first clear sign that the immediate problem was being brought under control.
Jennifer and Thomas Busch Face an Unresolved Criminal Case
The cleanup may have improved the property, but the legal side of the story is still open.
Jennifer Busch and Thomas Busch were charged on June 3.
Reported charges include aggravated cruelty to animals, criminal trespass, cruelty to animals, neglect of animals, and recklessly endangering another person.
Both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The most disturbing details in this case come from police allegations and investigative documents. They can be reported, but they are not the same thing as a court verdict.
The cleanup and the criminal case are now moving on separate tracks. One dealt with making the property safer. The other will determine what legal responsibility, if any, the defendants carry.
A condemned sign can tell everyone that a building is unsafe. It cannot make the problems inside disappear.
In Steelton, the rats, the smell and the frustration spilled into the lives of people who had no control over what happened behind that door. That is what gives this story its weight long after the cleanup crews leave.
How would you react if rats and odors from a neighboring home started reaching your own property?
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