On Monday, July 29, Deputy Randel Hill was on patrol on Barrett Road in Southeast when he came upon a “large quantity” of trash that had been illegally dumped. Hill photographed the scene and proceeded to dig through several bags to find any evidence that would lead them to the owner.
Putnam County Police Capt. Lisa Ortolano said that in one of the bags, Hill located paperwork that tied the debris to a Lake Carmel man. Due to the amount and nature of the trash - which included roofing shingles, car tires, lawnmowers, and garbage - Environmental Conservation Officer Kevin Wamsley was also notified.
The following day, the investigators located the Lake Carmel man, who was a contractor and paid an independent contractor to remove waste from a construction site in Yonkers.
Ortolano said that they found the contractor, Bronx resident Antonio Ortiz-Zayas, 56, who was contacted and met with both Hill and Wamsley at the dumpsite. At the site, Ortiz-Zayas stated that he thought Barrett Road was a free dumping site, and he was issued a littering summons and unlawful disposal summons.
Ortiz-Zayas removed the garbage from the site and was ordered to appear in the Town of Southeast Justice Court on Tuesday, Aug. 27 to respond to the summonses.
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