Two men were arrested and charged after authorities caught them illegally dumping food grease into a storm drain in Miami, police say.
The investigation began after an anonymous tip and photograph were submitted to the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM). Miami police responded on Monday.
Environmental Crimes detectives went to Northwest 17th Avenue and 29th Street, where they observed a man matching the photograph actively dumping waste into the drain. A second man was found nearby.
The suspects were identified as 48-year-old Roman Jaquez and 73-year-old Oscar Brooks Gago.
According to an arrest report, Jaquez admitted that Brooks Gago instructed him to dispose of cooking grease, and he said it was a regular practice at their nearby workplace. Brooks Gago claimed he instructed Jaquez to dispose of the grease but did not specify dumping it into the drain.
Both men were charged with environmental crime—willful disregard.
Authorities gave the business involved 24 hours to clean the storm drain, though the business’s name was not released.
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