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Video shows roaches, dirt on coffee containers at downtown Pittsburgh convenience store

PITTSBURGH — Video taken by a former employee shows roaches and dirt on coffee containers at a 7-Eleven on Smithfield Street in Downtown Pittsburgh.

The man who recorded the video wants others to be aware of what he says is a big problem at the store.

“The video that was shared today was recorded on January 5 and I shot that video after discovering from a customer that there was a roach on the coffee pot,” former employee Lorenzo Rulli said.

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Rulli said he worked at the store on Smithfield Street and noticed a problem right away.

“Immediately there were roaches near the coffee area," Rulli said.

After a customer complained about it, Rulli said he decided to pull the coffee containers apart to get a better look.

“When I got all the parts out, I realized their were roaches inside the coffee pot," Rulli said.

Rulli said he reported the problem to his manager and even called corporate.

“More then five times I mentioned the infestation of roaches here at this 7-Eleven and nothing has been done," Rulli said.

Channel 11′s Michele Newell went to the 7-Eleven to get answers. A worker told her they didn’t want to comment, so she contacted the corporate office and got the following statement:

“The health and safety of 7-Eleven customers is our top priority. We are obviously very concerned about this matter and are working to resolve it. We have contacted pest control and sanitized the store.”

The Allegheny County Health Department told us the department’s food safety program got some complaints and will follow up.

We looked into the department’s annual inspection reports for this store. In 2019, there were eight violations during one inspection visit. Some of the violations include cleaning and sensitization, contamination prevention and general sanitation (floors).

In 2018, there were four violations, including contamination prevention and general sanitation (floors).