A Florida man was caught illegally dumping yard waste, but the incident took an unexpected turn when a live snake was found in the suspect’s vehicle.
On Thursday, deputies responded to a complaint about illegal dumping along Sykes Creek in Brevard County. They found Daniel Dinovi in the act of dumping approximately half a ton of yard waste from a trailer into the waterway.
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When confronted, Dinovi initially claimed the debris was from a recent job. However, as deputies attempted to explain the environmental regulations and read him his rights, he became uncooperative.
Sheriff Ivey, in his characteristically colorful style, described the situation: “So, to help him out with where things go, we told him we would handle the rest of his ‘stuff’ while he took a ride to Ivey’s Iron Bar Lodge!”
The situation took a surprising twist when deputies discovered a juvenile Rainbow Boa Constrictor on the passenger seat of Dinovi’s vehicle.
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Sheriff Ivey, known for his love of animals (especially his dog Junny), couldn’t resist injecting some humor into the situation: “Heck, I don’t even let Junny ride in the front seat and not once has he ever tried to choke me to death, so you know a Boa Constrictor has got no shot at all of riding in the front seat!!”
Brevard County Animal Services took custody of the snake, while Brevard County Road & Bridge crews cleaned up the illegally dumped yard waste.
Dinovi was arrested and taken to the Brevard County Jail.
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