6 arrested in Salinas Riverbed, 19,000 pounds of trash hauled out, Paso Robles police say
Six people were arrested and 19,000 pounds of trash hauled away from the Salinas Riverbed over the last two weeks as the Paso Robles Police Department reinforced an order from the fire chief to clear the area, the department said.
In May, the Paso Robles fire chief declared the Salinas Riverbed a high fire risk, and a notice was posted May 24 noting the order from Niblick Bridge to city limits north of the Paso Robles Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to a news release.
The notice said all people needed to leave the area and remove all property by May 25. Additional notices were provided, police said.
All people were vacated and the area was cleaned, the Police Department said, but the site was re-established this month. So the department went in again from July 13 to 22 to remove residents and trash.
Police said the unsanitary conditions included open fire pits, propane tanks, gas-powered generators, large car/RV batteries and discarded drug paraphernalia. Removal of the trash cost $9,130.
The Paso Robles Police Department’s Community Action Team, the Paso Robles Fire Department and the city’s Community Services Department “worked towards obtaining compliance by identifying and monitoring fire sources, removing trash and discarded materials and cleaning up unsanitary sites,” police said in the release.
Police said six people were arrested on charges of having an illegal fire, drug/paraphernalia possession and refusing to vacate and remove property from the designated high fire risk area.
This story was originally published July 24, 2021 at 11:35 AM.
