Garrett Byron Owens of Poplarville recently was charged with dumping cardboard boxes on the side of the road. He was caught, cited and even picked up the litter voluntarily after being caught, according to a press release from the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department.

According to the release, witnesses reported seeing a man dumping cardboard boxes at the intersection of Mississippi Highway 53 and Savannah Millard Road south of Poplarville on Oct. 22. The witnesses noted the tag number of the vehicle involved and reported the incident to the department.

Deputy Bruce Eades was sent out to photograph the litter, which consisted of about 31 boxes left on the shoulder of the roadway, the release states. Eades then went to the address noted in the vehicle’s registration, but the owners of the vehicle said it had been borrowed by a family member for the past few weeks, and provided a location of the borrower, the release stated.

That address brought Eades into contact with Owens of 172 Pin Oak Dr., Poplarville, the release states.

The investigation ended with Owens being cited for littering under the county’s litter ordinance and released, the release states. After being cited Owens removed the boxes he left on the side of the road voluntarily, according to the release.

Owens faces fines of up to $332 in Justice Court, the release states.

“I think this shows what a tip from a concerned citizen can do,” said Capt. Kelvin Stanford in the release. “Thanks to a citizen that was alert to what was happening in their community we were able to solve this litter complaint.”

Community members across the county are urged to be mindful of litter, and to record tag numbers of those suspected of committing the crime, the release states. Littering activities can be reported to the Sheriff’s Department by calling 601-795-2241, 601-798-5528, 601-772-9144 or 601-796-5498.

The release warns that county residents should be mindful of trash left in the bed of a truck, since unsecured items in the bed of a truck can easily blow out, littering the roadway. The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department asks residents to take pride in their county, not only to keep it beautiful but also to protect the local ecosystem, the release states.