Key Largo Man Arrested for Dumping 500 Pounds of Refuse in Forest

Steven John Walters, a 45-year-old Key Largo resident, was arrested and charged with illegal dumping on Saturday, March 14, after a two-month standoff with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office over a debris-choked site he allegedly established in the woods near Calusa Street.

The investigation began in January 2026, when deputies discovered the heavily littered location and identified Walters as responsible. The site held more than 500 pounds of debris: discarded camping supplies, glass bottles, beer cans, several abandoned or unusable bicycles, and a wide variety of general household trash.

Rather than pursue immediate arrest, the Sheriff's Office gave Walters a chance to address the problem himself. Deputies issued a clear directive: he had seven days to remove the waste and restore the area. The deadline passed with the refuse still on the ground.

With the cleanup order ignored, the Sheriff's Office moved forward with a warrant for Walters' arrest. He was booked into jail Saturday without further incident and officially charged with illegal dumping.

No bail amount, bond conditions, or first appearance date were available at the time of this report. The specific statute cited in the charge has not been confirmed, nor has the Monroe County Sheriff's Office released a formal statement on the case.