Mower Man Charged With Felony Dumping

A Sebring man with a commercial mowing business was free on $1,000 bail Monday, after he was booked on a warrant in connection with dumping yard debris on Sept. 7, 2007, on a county right of way, instead of hauling it to the dump.

William Mike Baker, 56, of 4343 Schumacher Road, Lot. 1-E, was charged with commercial dumping, a third-degree felony.

According to the arrest report, it was about 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 7, 2007, when two witnesses reported seeing a man one of the witnesses recognized as Baker drive a black Chevrolet truck pulling a black trailer loaded with brush debris onto Mitchell Avenue and then turn onto Elite Street.

The witnesses stated they saw the truck return to Schumacher Road with an empty trailer. They went down Elite Street and saw a pile of debris on top of some commercial construction debris outside a new residence at 4400 Elite St., the report stated.

Shortly after the first dumping incident, they reported that they saw more brush dumped on top of the first dumping.

Both witnesses reported the truck had gray primer on the driver's side door.

When sheriff's investigators arrived there was fresh brush debris on top of the construction waste as was reported. Deputy David Lightsey Jr. reported that he found a 1994 black Chevrolet 1500 truck with a trailer and spoke with Baker. He noted one gray door on the driver's side.

Baker told the deputy he did dump two loads on the side of Elite Street, the report stated. He thought because the other construction debris was already there that no one would mind, the deputy reported.

Baker, who had commercial lawn equipment on his trailer, told the deputy he did not cut at the mobile home park where he lives that day, but had cut some at other residences.

He said he dumped some type of oak tree limbs and some brush with purple flowers on it, which was consistent with the debris the deputy observed.