GLENDALE, Ariz. - A Valley mom claims to have encountered bedbugs at the AMC Westgate 20 movie theater in Glendale this week.
The incident happened inside of auditorium 14.
“Pretty much immediately we felt itchy on the back of our arms. I took out my phone and shined the flashlight on the back of our seats and bugs just scattered everywhere and into the seats,” said Crystal Roze Mitchell.
Mitchell immediately notified a manager and snapped a few pictures which she posted to Facebook. The post has been shared more than 18,000 times.
“You can actually see the nest in the side of the arm rest, like a bunch of little white eggs and a group of the bugs themselves," said Mitchell.
We reached out to AMC for a comment and they released this statement.
“AMC is vigilant and aggressive about the inspection and treatment of this issue. Every seat at AMC Westgate 20 is proactively inspected monthly and treated immediately if any evidence is found. An inspection also takes place anytime there is a guest report of bed bugs. In this case, the auditorium in question has been closed for an immediate inspection, and treatment if activity is found.”
AMC said Rentokil Steritech, which specializes in the inspection and eradication of bed bugs, came in to treat the auditorium on Wednesday. The auditorium was cleared to reopen Thursday.
The Maricopa County Environmental Services Department handles reports like this.
"Typically what we do is we go to the location and we conduct an inspection to see if we find bedbugs and address the issue with the person in charge," said Johnny Diloné, a public information officer with Maricopa County Environmental Services.
The next step is proof of treatment.
"We require the establishment to show proof of hiring a professional licensed pest control company who specializes in be bugs," said Diloné.
If you have concerns, you can visit the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department's website for more information on how to file a report and get more information.