JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – What would you do if you saw headlights in an area where they shouldn’t be? Two men were taken into custody Wednesday night after dropping off debris and fleeing the scene. However, a vigilant city worker was watching and would not let them get away with it.
“It was a red flag. I said someone is over here dumping,” said Chris Gray.
He was driving on Livingston Road Wednesday night when he saw headlights where they shouldn’t be at an abandoned building. The former law enforcement officer, who is now Jackson’s Constituent Services Manager, drove to the location.
“They were in an act of dumping. There was a trailer behind them,” said Gray. “They still had a lot of stuff on the bed of the truck that they didn’t get off because they were spooked.”
Thirty-seven-year-old David Ray Phillips and 21-year-old Darius Haymond, both of Jackson, were spotted dumping tree limbs and debris. Gray followed the two men and called the police.
“I was able to trail the vehicle, get the tag number, call dispatch, and as I was speaking with dispatch, they let me know that the truck came back stolen,” said the city department manager.
Phillips is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a stolen firearm, and illegal dumping. Haymond is also charged with illegal dumping.
“The activities that they’re doing within these communities are illegal,” said Solid Waste Manager Lakesha Weathers. “If they are caught performing these acts of illegal dumping, they can face fines. They can also face jail time for that, depending on the severity of their dumping, and we will catch them”.
The city manager lives in the area where the dumping occurred wants people to stop trashing Jackson.
“When the community gets involved, and they see something that’s suspicious, they need to say something,” Gray added.
Jackson Police JPD apprehended Phillips and Haymond at a residence on Road of Remembrance.
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