Rat Droppings, Chewed Footlong Loaves Preceded Health Closure At LA Subway: Reports

LOS ANGELES, CA — Bites taken out of footlong loaves. Rat droppings amongst sandwich bags. Dead and live vermin throughout the restaurant.

These are the symptoms of a rat infestation that workers at one Los Angeles Subway say they've been noticing for months, according to reports. They say management didn't do anything — until the sandwich shop was shut down by health inspectors this week.

After an inspector noted 11 critical violations on Wednesday at the Subway at 4919 Eagle Rock Blvd., workers staged a rally outside the shuttered restaurant the following day. They called on management to clean up the mess and provide compensation for wages lost due to the restaurant shutting down.

"The point is to hear workers' voices and hopefully they understand they have to do the right thing. Sometimes they prefer to save money, but they are risking the health and the life of employees and customers, too," Maria Maldonado, field director with the California Fast Food Workers Union told ABC 7.

The extent of the vermin infestation is detailed in images shared by workers with TV reporters — video obtained by KTLA showed one worker pushing a dead rat around with a broom. Other photos showed vermin droppings on sandwich bags and chewed bread.

And the pests' mess is also laid out in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health inspection report, in which an inspector recorded observing the following:

• "Approximately 15 rodent droppings (and gnawed avocado peel) on the bottom, metal shelf, under the steam table and cold top."
• "Approximately 15 rodent droppings (and gnawed sugar packets) on the bottom shelf, inside the storage cabinet, next to the oven."
• "2 rodent droppings on the bottom shelf, under the soda machine."
• "2 rodent droppings inside the storage caddy, used for storage of prepackaged condiments and croutons."
• "2 rodent droppings on the counter top, next to the microwave."

The health department ordered the restaurant to "eliminate rodents and evidence of rodents (e.g. droppings, dead rodents, nesting material, rub marks) from the facility by safe, legal, and effective means at once."