Polk County deputies searching for individuals tossing trash at illegal dumpsite: ‘It’s nasty’
LAKE WALES, Fla. - The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation into what appears to be a massive illegal dump site.
Old stained clothes, worn-out mattresses, and who knows what else is strewn from one end of the property to the other.
The site is just off Fruitville Avenue, a dirt road, in Lake Wales Estates, just a stone’s throw from Randy Ewing’s home.
"I think it is wrong. It’s filthy. It’s nasty," he told FOX 13. "Who would want to look at it every day?"
Now, Ewing and his wife do. It was always their dream to live in Florida. So a month and a half ago, they moved from Detroit to Polk County.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office is investigating illegal dumping in Lake Wales.
What they found not far from their new doorstep has tarnished the state’s sunny image for them.
"You hear about how Florida is such a good place, and you walk around and see this," he said.
A Polk County Sheriff's office truck at an illegal dumping site.
On Wednesday, a deputy showed up to the site and launched an investigation. But tracking down a dumper can be a difficult task.
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"At the end of the day, you have to find out who did it, what they did, what their intent was, and criminally charge them," explained Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
A Lake Wales resident is upset over trash being dumped illegally near his home.
They may have an advantage in this particular case. Amid the refuse, Ewing found pay stubs and other paperwork with people’s names on them, which could be a starting point.
Judd says illegal dumpers can be charged with a felony, and serve prison time.