Upper ‘Pest’ Side: Tenant Throws Box Of Roaches At Porter, NYPD Says

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY - A tenant-staff feud escalated Thursday morning when an Upper West Side resident threw a box full of cockroaches at a building worker, authorities said.

The pests were pelted at the site's porter about 10:50 a.m. at 37 West 72nd St., police sources told Patch.

No injuries were reported and no arrests were made as of 12:30 p.m., police said.

It wasn't clear if the roaches were also building residents or if they were sourced elsewhere. Petco, which has an Upper West Side location near West 92nd Street, sells live crickets and roaches on its website.

37 West 72nd St. is a doorman-staffed prewar building with 92 units across 16 floors, per StreetEasy. The building has 41 open violations, including reports of mold, mice and lead-based paint hazards dating back to 2019, according to the NYC HPD website. Another 45 complaints against the site contain several reports of roaches in the public hall and inside at least three apartment units.

One of the building's landlords, Magdalena Kosz, was named to 2023's Worst Landlord List published by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams earlier this month, according to Who Owns What.

Do you have more information about 37 West 72nd St.? Talk to this Patch reporter by emailing nicole.rosenthal@patch.com.