Two people have been charged after Bucks County Rangers were called for a report of illegal dumping.
According to court papers, the law enforcement rangers who patrol county park property were dispatched at 7:29 a.m. on December 12 to the parking area at Silver Lake Park not far from the nature center along Bath Road in Bristol Township. The complainant advised that a rental truck backed onto the county land and a man emptied the contents of it into and around two blue dumpsters.
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A ranger confirmed the two rented dumpsters were filled with personal property and there were household items stacked around the dumpster, authorities said.
According to criminal complaint, the items dumped included a large screen TV, clothes, dressers, and photographs.
Rangers said they traced the rental truck to U-Haul on Durham Road in Bristol Township and confirmed it was rented by an 85-year-old Bristol woman and her 62-year-old son Aaron Miller.
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Bucks County General Services Division officials told rangers that they pay $304.83 per week for the dumpsters and spent $200 worth of labor for two county workers to clean up the area.
A ranger made contact with Miller via phone and he admitted the U-Haul truck was at the county property, but he was recovering the items for a family member, authorities said.
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The woman who was with Miller – Sheryl Hoenigke, 50, of Bristol Township – spoke to a ranger and confirmed she was with the 62-year-old man in the U-Haul truck. She further stated she was helping a family member move and did not illegally dump, authorities said.
“I was just being a good Samaritan, and they were hoarders,” Hoenigke reportedly said.
Further investigation by rangers allegedly found that the dumped items belonged to two Bristol Township women who said Miller was put in charge of moving the items from Truman Avenue in the township to a new address. One of Miller’s family members confirmed this with law enforcement.
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The day after the items were dumped the Bristol Township women had filed a stolen property report with Bristol Township police.
Miller was found to be wanted for the sheriff’s office for a drug-related offense. He also had a suspended Pennsylvania driver’s license, while Hoenigke was on probation for a drug-related offense.
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Miller and Hoenigke were charged with theft of services, conspiracy, and receiving stolen property. Miller also faces a summary charge of driving on a suspended license. The two were arraigned by District Judge Jan Vislosky and sent to the county lockup. Miller remained jailed as of Saturday on 10 percent of $200,000 bail and Hoenigke was in on 10 percent of $3,000 bail.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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