Man arrested for dumping human waste on road in Punta Gorda

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
Kevin Smiley, 64, photo courtesy of CCSO.

A 64-year-old man was arrested Monday after dumping 70 gallons of human waste on his neighbor’s road in Punta Gorda, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

Neighbors contacted authorities about a “large amount of human waste” in the road at the 7300 block of Cleveland Drive.

A deputy found two dump locations, approximately 100 yards apart and each with a 35 gallon red tote tipped over at the spill location.

A witness described the truck they saw carrying the totes before the spill, and the witness remembered the truck due to the foul odor.

The CCSO Environmental Investigator, Detective Traniello, took over the investigation, and found a large amount of toilet paper and feminine product waste still on the side of the road.

The detective found the registered owner of the truck, and another tenant at the property said that Kevin Smiley often drove the truck. Smiley matched the physical description provided by witnesses, CCSO said.

Detective Traniello found Smiley was employed by the owner of the truck and assisted in maintenance of rental properties. Smiley was paid to remove septic waste from an address on Quail Drive. The waste was then dumped on Cleveland Drive.

Smiley made no efforts to remove, clean, or report the dumped waste, he was arrested on two counts of littering over 500 pounds commercial or hazardous waste.

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