Dad killed bat hiding in hotel curtains — and needed ‘stressful’ treatment, lawsuit says
An Arizona family is suing a Las Vegas hotel after they said they woke up to a live bat in their room.
Marcus Rucker and his family were staying at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for a volleyball tournament in April 2022, according to a lawsuit obtained by 12 News.
The lawsuit states that at about 4 a.m., April 11, the family woke up to a noise. That’s when Rucker found a live bat hanging in the curtains, the lawsuit said, according to 12 News.
“Unfortunately, I had to kill the bat. I didn’t want it to bite anybody in the room,” Rucker told 12 News. “We told the hotel where the bat was.”
Rucker killed the bat with a shoe that was nearby, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
After he notified the hotel, the staff disposed of the bat, the lawsuit states.
The next day, Rucker reported the incident to the Maricopa County Arizona Health Department. He said in the lawsuit that he was told to immediately have the bat tested for rabies. However, that wasn’t possible because the hotel had disposed of it.
The lawsuit goes on to say he was told by the health department that he and his family should all seek immediate treatment for exposure to rabies.
“I had to get two shots on my leg, one on my shoulder initially the first day, and we had to get subsequent shots for the next three weeks,” Rucker told 12 News. “Very, very stressful for my family, for my kids.”
Two other families — two children and two adults — are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. That’s because they spent time in the room where the bat was found, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported.
The lawsuit states that because the hotel was subject to the Southern Nevada Health District Regulations, it should have known to preserve the bat for testing instead of disposing of it.
“Due to Defendants’ failure to preserve the bat for rabies testing, Plaintiffs were required to undergo medical treatment to prevent rabies, which could have potentially been avoided if the bat had been retained by Defendants for testing,” the lawsuit states.
The family is suing for $15,000 for medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages.
McClatchy News reached out to MGM Resorts, who manages the hotel, as well as the Rucker’s attorney. We have not heard back.
This story was originally published August 25, 2023 at 8:59 AM with the headline "Dad killed bat hiding in hotel curtains — and needed ‘stressful’ treatment, lawsuit says."
