Two men charged after hundreds of tires dumped at North Philadelphia train station lot

Two men face charges after police said they caught them using a U-Haul box truck to dump hundreds of tires in the parking lot of SEPTA's North Philadelphia station late Monday night.

Officers went to the lot on the 1400 block of West Indiana Avenue at about 11:48 p.m. after a report of illegal dumping, according to NBC10 and 6abc. Police estimated that 200 to 350 tires were unloaded onto the property.

Police identified the men as Charles Arttaway, 52, of Philadelphia, and Paul Gamble, of Darby. NBC10 and 6abc reported Gamble's age as 68, while FOX 29 reported it as 58. Both are charged with criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy and scattering rubbish, the outlets reported.

Investigators allege that Gamble rented and drove the truck and that Arttaway was seen unloading the tires, according to 6abc and NBC10.

Arttaway told NBC10 that a man and a woman approached him at a gas station and offered him $40 to help unload the truck, and that he did not believe he was doing anything wrong. "There's already tires there. So, I figured I was just doing an honest job," he told the station. He also said he would not do it again.

Police are seeking more surveillance video and examining whether the same truck was used in a separate dumping incident, according to 6abc and NBC10. FOX 29 reported that investigators also want to know whether the two men are linked to other cases.

The Police Department's Neighborhood Services Unit described the lot as a long-standing dumping location and said it has handled nine cases involving tires and box trucks there in roughly the past six weeks, FOX 29 reported. A tow truck operator who arrived to remove the U-Haul early Tuesday told the station that tires had spilled out around the vehicle.

Lt. Christopher Lantz of the Neighborhood Services Unit told FOX 29 that illegal dumping is at least a misdemeanor and can be a felony. "It's an arrestable offense, so it's not a ticket. It's not a citation," he said. He told NBC10 that a similar case occurred in late August in Fairmount Park, when a U-Haul got stuck in mud during a tire dump, though investigators do not believe the same people were involved.

The city plans to pursue fines in addition to criminal charges. FOX 29 reported a maximum of $5,000 per tire plus cleanup costs, and 6abc reported that dumping with a vehicle carries a $5,000-per-item penalty, compared with $2,000 per item without one.

According to 6abc, the arrests come as the city prepares to launch a new illegal dumping task force on November 3. Officials encourage residents to call 911 if they witness illegal dumping.

Compiled by True News from reporting by CBS Philadelphia, FOX 29 Philadelphia, 6abc Action News and NBC10 Philadelphia. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/553