Residents take charge after authorities fail to stop repeated crimes in alley: 'I kinda scared him off'

After discovering that the alley behind their Los Angeles-area home had become one man's personal dumping ground, a family reached out to city officials for action. However, when nothing happened, they decided to handle the problem themselves — and set out to catch the culprit, per CBS News.

The Jimenez family told KCAL News that piles of garbage began appearing behind their family home in April, including bulky items such as a shower tub, a mattress frame, and a vacuum cleaner. Each time, the trash came from the same culprit: a man in a red pickup truck who returned week after week to illegally dump more items.

"It was just massive amounts of dumping. It wasn't just a bag, like half this whole alleyway," homeowner Alejandro Jimenez told KCAL News.

The Jimenez family said their calls to city officials resulted in little help. When they contacted the city of Pomona, they were reportedly told the cleanup would be their responsibility.

Frustrated, the family set up a hidden security camera to catch the culprit in the act. Jimenez told KCAL News he even once woke up at 2 a.m. to the sound of the truck, ran outside with his phone, and confronted the man directly.

"After I caught him with the camera, I feel like I kinda scared him off," Jimenez told KCAL News.

The family turned over their video evidence — including the culprit's license plate number — to the police, who traced it back to 70-year-old Salvador Bermudes. Bermudes was arrested on outstanding warrants and cited for illegal dumping, per KCAL News.

"[The Jimenez family was] able to get video of the incident and take a photo of the suspect vehicle license plate, which they then reported to us, and we were eventually able to take him into custody for outstanding arrest warrants," Pomona Police Lieutenant Robert Scheppmann told KCAL News.

Illegally dumping waste isn't just unsightly — it creates real risks for both people and the planet. Abandoned trash can attract pests, contaminate soil and waterways, and even release harmful pollutants into the air. That's why disposing of waste safely — and through the proper, legal channels — is critical for protecting communities and ecosystems.

While you can control how you handle your own garbage, you can't always prevent others from cutting corners. If you see illegal dumping in your community, report it to your city or county sanitation office — and follow up to make sure action is taken. As the Jimenez family found, local officials can sometimes ignore reports of illegal dumping. Still, persistence is key to holding community leaders accountable for keeping neighborhoods safe and clean.

What supplies do you keep on hand in case of a blackout? Just a flashlight 🔦 A few camping lanterns 😎 A full-on emergency kit 🆘 I don't have anything 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Communities can also take matters into their own hands, just as the Jimenez family did. Neighborhood cleanup events not only reduce waste, but they can also help build local pride and encourage shared responsibility.

On a larger scale, advocating for stronger waste management systems and better infrastructure can pave the way for long-term solutions.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.