Police: Men face felony charges for dumping more than 200 tires

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — An Osceola County business owner and one of his employees are facing felony charges after Kissimmee police said the two dumped hundreds of tires at several apartment complexes.

WFTV's Renee Stoll is live outside the man's business in Kissimmee.

Normally, people have to pay to have tires disposed of, but investigators found stacks and stacks of rubber in a garbage where they didn't belong in.

Kissimmee police said they received a call about 30 tires being illegally dumped in the trash at the Reef Club apartments.

"I kind of wondered because it's always full. Our garbage is always full to the maximum," said resident Elijah Cook.

But that wasn't the only place. The property owner of the American Plaza had to pay to have dozens of tires removed from trash bins behind DD's Discount Store.

A tip led detectives to the Chevere Tires and Auto Service. People at nearby businesses told WFTV the owner Federico Benavides hasn't been to work since he and his former employee, Perley Perkins, were arrested. Police said Benavides and Perkins dumped tires not only at the store and apartment complex but detectives found they had dumped tires at five locations, including a wooded area off Boggy Creek Road.

Detectives believe the two men are responsible for dumping more than 200 tires.

WFTV found the man who's been running the shop for Benavides living next door, but he didn't want to talk to us about his boss' illegal activity.

Those numbers written on the tire were the ultimate clue that allowed detectives to match up the tires dumped illegally to the ones here at Benavides' shop.

Both men are facing felony charges.

WFTV