Police found a body in a San Francisco home that was overrun with trash, rats and spiders, but no foul play is suspected in the death.
"I'm hearing that there were rats, spiders, dog feces and trash just everywhere, in some cases piled to the ceiling," San Francisco city and county Supervisor Eric Mar told the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday. "The police captains I've spoken with tell me this is the worst case of hoarding they have ever seen."
Police struggled to get the door open in the home full of rats, spiders, dog waste, trash and bottles of urine, the Chronicle reported. Firefighters wearing gas masks brought some items from the house before a city cleaning crew was brought in. A firefighter was heard describing the body as "mummified," according to the Chronicle.
Some neighbors told the Chronicle that a retired woman and her elderly mother lived in the home, but the mother hadn't appeared in years. Other neighbors were surprised to learn the house was not abandoned.
Authorities didn't immediately identify the residents. The house, built in 1904, was owned by Anna and Archibald Ragin, the Chronicle reported.
Sgt. Michael Andraychak says the medical examiner will determine the dead person's age, identity and cause of death. He said the death won't be considered suspicious unless the investigation suggests otherwise.
It was also not clear how long the person had been dead, or what brought authorities to the home on Saturday.
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"This appears to be a nightmare of what can happen when people age in place for too long," Mar said. "We need to identify what the triggers are for the city to step in."