OCALA, Fla. – A woman is accused of felony littering after allegedly amassing over 14,000 pounds of trash and debris at an illegal homeless encampment in the Silver Springs Shores area, a news release states.
Marion County deputies formally charged the woman after an investigation revealed she had allegedly “created a large-scale environmental hazard” on private property behind Spring Road in Ocala, the sheriff’s office said.
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Deputies warned the woman to vacate and clean the property earlier in July; she was given one week to remove her belongings and place any excess trash in a designated area, according to the release.
Officials said an inspection on July 17 found a “large makeshift structure” surrounded by piles of trash, including household garbage, shopping carts, bicycle parts, buckets of human waste and drug paraphernalia. The site emitted a strong odor and posed a significant environmental and public health risk, the release states.
The cleanup took two days, involving more than 40 workers, four trailers and trucks, four UTVs and a 20-yard dumpster, officials said, resulting in the collection of 14,260 pounds of debris.
The alleged dumping was in violation of Florida Statute 403.413(4), which classifies more than 500 pounds of litter as a felony offense, the release states.
The woman was arrested and faces charges of trespassing and felony littering, the sheriff’s office said.