Originally, police said they were looking for a man who illegally dumped more than 1,000 tires behind a metro Atlanta subdivision.
This week, officials said that number is closer to 12,000 and the search for Donald Leverette, who Union City police linked to the crime, continues.
“We will not stop until we hunt you down and make sure that you pay the penalty for what you have caused in this community,” Union City Mayor Vince Williams said Tuesday during a news conference.
Leverette assessed customers a fee to pick up tires, and instead of dumping them at an approved site he illegally dumped them in an undeveloped area along Oakhurst Way, authorities said.
“Who does this in a community where you have living, breathing, vibrant families,” Williams asked rhetorically.
Credit: Union City Police Department
Credit: Union City Police Department
A U-Haul truck was spotted dumping tires in the city’s Southwind subdivision on Dec. 14, police said. Officers used the truck’s tag to find a phone number connecting Leverette to the incident, Officer Jerald January said.
“We were actively working with Mr. Leverette on cleaning up the mess that he created,” January said. “When he neglected to do so, our detectives proceeded with charges against (him).”
Leverette, 34, of Riverdale, is also wanted in other jurisdictions across metro Atlanta on similar charges, police said.
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