A model says her career came to a screeching halt after she was attacked by bedbugs inside a hotel, leaving her with unsightly welts.
Sabrina Jales St. Pierre says she was “massacred” by an “infestation” of the critters when she stayed at a hotel in Palm Desert, California, recently.
Photos show welts all over her body. She says the pain was unbearable.
“It was really swollen, really red, the bites were huge,” she told Inside Edition. “I had to take a break from modeling just because it was impossible to do auditions, or castings or anything. You can’t work when you have all of those marks on your body everywhere.”
Sabrina’s lawyer, Brian Virag, is suing The Palm Desert Embassy Suites Hotel.
“This is something that you are never going to forget, you will never be able to be put back into the same position that you would have been had this never happened,” he told Inside Edition.
The hotel denies the allegations, declaring in a statement: “The inspection of the room did not reveal any evidence of bedbugs. The comfort, health, safety and security of our guests is of the utmost importance.
“With regard to this incident, our guest reported she felt she had been bitten by bedbugs on her lower legs,” the hotel added. “We have a very comprehensive protocol in the event [a guest] reports any situation affecting their personal well-being. Whenever there is a claim of bites from any number of pests we have a protocol we follow to investigate.
“Our management immediately upon learning of Ms. Jales’ allegation that she had bug bites, she was relocated to a different room. In addition, as a gesture of hospitality, the hotel dry-cleaned all her laundry. Hotel Management then proceeded to inspect the guest room for pests. The inspection of the room did not reveal any evidence of bedbugs.
“The Hotel took additional precautionary steps by contacting an outside pest control company. The pest control company reported and documented there was no evidence of any pest in the room, including bedbugs. We deny the allegations put forth in the press and social media.”
But the model says it was a nightmare.
“I truly wanted to rip my skin, it was really bad,” Jales St. Pierre said