Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a tip on Saturday that a large, unauthorized camp had been set up on private land on DeBary Avenue near Deltona. When they arrived, deputies found a collection of tents, plastic buckets filled with human waste, and more than 600 pounds of trash weighed on a digital scale, with an estimated additional 5,000 pounds of litter still on the site.
Arrests and charges
Three individuals – Theodore Levesque, 63, Helen Preneta, 60, and Michael Frank, 63, all residents of nearby Orange City – were taken into custody. The arrest report lists multiple charges, including trespassing and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Investigators also recovered substances that tested presumptively positive for methamphetamine, fentanyl, MDMA, as well as amphetamine pills and drug paraphernalia.
Levesque told deputies he was aware of the “No Trespassing” signs but claimed a person known as “Gator” had told him he could remain on the property. One suspect told a deputy, “I get mail here,” prompting a clear response from the deputy that the landowner does not want anyone there and is attempting to sell the property.
Property owner’s efforts
The land belongs to an 80‑year‑old woman who has been trying to sell the parcel for some time. According to the arrest report, she and her family repeatedly asked the occupants to leave, posted “No Trespassing” signs throughout the property, and even hired a service to remove garbage, but those attempts were unsuccessful.
Both Levesque and Preneta have prior encounters with law enforcement; they were previously arrested in January on an illegal dumping charge in Volusia County.
Ongoing detention
All three suspects remain in the Volusia County Jail as of Monday night. The sheriff’s office continues to investigate the extent of the illegal dumping and drug activity discovered at the site.
This incident underscores the challenges local law enforcement face in addressing unauthorized encampments, illegal dumping, and drug distribution on private property, while also highlighting the rights of property owners to protect and sell their land without interference.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
