A mother in the Bronx says needles and syringes have infiltrated the area where she lives as well as the place she takes her son to school.

Bronx mother Jennifer Valdez tells News 12 that bloody syringes, needles and tubes of methadone have made their way outside of her 3-year-old's preschool.

"My son is in a hazardous zone where we can get infected with whatever these needles may carry," she says.

Within the past five months, Valdez says walking her son to school often consists of carrying him.

"I had to pick up my son so that he wouldn't step on anything, afraid that he would be infected by maybe a needle that contains HIV. I saw a needle that had blood in it," Valdez explains.

There's a preschool, a day care and a methadone clinic within the radius of Park Avenue and 146th Street to Morris Avenue and 142nd Street. Valdez says she's made three complaints to 311.

When News 12 asked DSNY how it plans to address the situation, the agency said in part, "The Department of Sanitation Syringe Removal Team operates in the South Bronx almost every single day."

However, Valdez keeps finding bloody syringes nearby. She walked News 12 crews through what she calls "the red zone."

"Under the scaffold, you're going to see needles everywhere," she says.

The Department of Health says it takes syringe litter "very seriously" and that it will look into her complaint. When Valdez called 311 however, she was told, "We'll get back to you within 8-10 business days."

Valdez says she'll be satisfied once this mess is consistently cleaned up and tended to.