Girl Said Bloody Syringe Pricked Her in Hotel Bed
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Image Credit: KOMO News(LONDON) — The Washington state hotel where a girl said she was poked in bed by a bloody syringe said it is conducting an internal investigation before deciding whether to waive the room fees for the girl’s family.
Emily Smith, 9, was pricked in her heel Friday as she climbed into the top bunk at the GuestHouse Inn and Suites in Aberdeen, her mother, Angie Smith, said.
“There were syringes, plastic bag, bloody bandage all underneath the mattress cover. We were really shocked and freaking out,” Smith told ABC News’ Seattle affiliate.
Hotel manager Angel Housden said the family was angry that their room charges had not been waived when they checked out Sunday. She said she does not have the authority to comp room charges and instead passed the information along to the owner, who she said is conducting an internal investigation to determine how the items ended up in the room.
“We not only clean our rooms daily but we also have a head housekeeper who goes in after and checks the work,” Housden told ABC News. “I don’t see how it could have been missed.”
Housden was not on duty at the time of the incident, but said the front desk staff notified her as soon as Smith reported it.
“The guest did not want an ambulance or police there, but I personally called the police and had them arrive [at the hotel] with me,” she said.
The Smith family declined Housden’s offer to move them to a new room and instead just allowed her to change their bedding, she said.
Emily, who was in town for a softball tournament, will have to undergo a year of blood tests before doctors will be able to determine whether she is free of HIV, Hepatitis B or C, her mother said.
Housden said she does not know the status of the owner’s internal investigation.
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