LAKE COUNTY, FLA. — In an unusual move, sheriff’s deputies have arrested two homeless people on third-degree felony charges for creating a giant litter mess at their campsite.
April Campbell, 42, and Jonathan Hill, 36, were arrested last Monday in the area of Quaker Ridge Rod in Sorrento.
The arresting deputy noted in the probable cause affidavit: “…I observed a wooden makeshift house, electricity running, vast amounts of garbage, miscellaneous items including but not limited to tents, multiple broken bicycles, cabinets, beds, vehicle parts, shelves, chairs, etc., and two other smaller camp sites to the north and south.”
There were multiple no-trespassing signs posted by a land-management company.
Trespassing on land classified as agricultural or horticultural carries specific penalties. The two were also charged with littering exceeding 500 pounds or 100 cubic feet.
“…April later advised she knew she was trespassing but did not know it was horticultural and agricultural property.”
The no-trespassing signs specifically said it was and included the warning that it was a third-degree felony.
Third-degree felonies are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Hill was also charged with possession of methamphetamine.
She has a record of trespassing and other charges: petty theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, possession of meth and traffic offenses.
Hill, too, has a record of running afoul of the law, including possession of meth. In 2020, he was arrested and charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing solar panels and a battery from a gas transmission line while living at a homeless camp. A judge ruled that he was “mentally or physically unable to stand trial.”