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Hillsborough neighborhood becoming a 'dumping ground' for junk, debris

Co. investigating 23 illegal dumping complaints
Posted at 10:37 PM, Oct 04, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-04 23:20:28-04

Some residents in Hillsborough County are fed up after they say their neighborhood has become a dumping ground for junk and debris. 

"It blows and the wind scatters it everywhere and it's just a big hassle," Jake Callahan said. 

Joe Bodrie lives near Bishop Road and U.S. Highway 301 in Wimauma. Bodrie showed us the pile of garbage he discovered Sunday morning. 

"There's a bunch of clothing in here and there's old furniture, a crib, I think there's a car tire, a baby seat," Bodrie said. "Would you want this across the street from your house? I don't think anybody does."

RELATED: Hurricane Irma debris collection maps allow Tampa Bay Area residents to track progress

Neighbors say the same person, on the same night, dumped a car seat and rubber pool only a few blocks away at the intersection of Citrus Flower Lane and Ruth Morris Lane, just a few steps from Jake Callahan's front porch. 

"It's just disheartening because that's why we move here, all of us take great pride in our place and we like to keep it looking nice here."

Hillsborough County has received 23 complaints about illegal dumping in the past 15 days. Officials do not know how many cases are connected to Hurricane Irma debris. 

Frustrated neighbors say the junk piles up after county workers cut the grass.

"This time it wasn't even a day, it was within four or five hours, somebody was already dumping here," said Corey LeClair. 

Bodrie hopes the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office can track down the person responsible and put an end to the recurring roadside eyesore.

"If you need help dumping something, there's plenty of neighborly people around here that will help," Bodrie said. "It's just slapping your neighbor in the face with this."

Violators caught illegally dumping face a fine. You can report illegal dumping on the Hillsborough County website.