Two men were arrested in connection to the discovery of half of a small plane that once belonged to a zoo was found abandoned on the side of a road,police in Florida said.
One of the men police identified as suspects in the abandonment of the plane, which was found in Springfield on July 12, was taken into custody earlier this week, while the other man was arrested at a traffic stop Thursday after failing to turn himself in as expected, officials with theSpringfield Police Department tell Inside Edition Digital.
Police first announced they were investigating the unusual case on July 12, when they took to Facebook to announce, “The Springfield Police Department located a portion of a plane today, abandoned in a vacant lot on Transmitter Road. If you have any information about the owner, or the origins of the plane, please contact us at (850) 872-7545. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (850) 785-TIPS.”
They also posted a photo of the scene, in whichjust the front half of the plane, which appeared to be cut, lay on the ground.The plane has faded markings indicating it was from ZooWorld in Panama City Beach.
The zoo said it disposed of the plane about a week ago. "That used to be part of an exhibit, but it was removed to bring in something that would hold up," Jadena Terrell, ZooWorld's assistant park director, told WJHG-TV. "For you know, against kids climbing that kind of thing, to make it more user-friendly for people in wheelchairs and more compliant for people, so everyone could enjoy it."
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to ZooWorld for comment and has not heard back.
The Springfield Police Department confirmed the plane to be the same aircraft that was once at Zoo World, "however has since turned it over to someone else," officials wrote on Facebook. "They are cooperating with the investigation, and we are working multiple leads on the case. We appreciate everyone’s assistance.”
Springfield Police tell Inside Edition Digital that part of the plane was taken to a scrap yard, but it remains unclear why or how the front half of the plane ended up on the side of the road.
Russell Voyles, assistant police chief for the Springfield Police Department, tells Inside Edition Digital that the plane, once used as a photo op for visitors, had been out of service at the zoo for some time. The fees to dispose of the plane were high, and so when a man on Facebook reached out to the zoo and said he would take the aircraft at no cost with the intention of keeping whatever he made for it at the scrap yard, the zoo agreed to the deal, Voyles says.
Once the zoo agreed, the man picked up the plane and brought it to the scrap yard with a partner, according to Voyles. However, some of the parts of the plane could not be scrapped. Police found the remnants of the aircraft not long after.
Springfield Police announced Thursday afternoon that Cordaro Jesus Hernandez, 29, and David Horton Brown, 68, were charged with illegal dumping of more than 500 pounds, a third-degree felony.
Voyles tells Inside Ediiton Digital that Brown was expected to turn himself in Thursday afternoon but did not do so. A warrant for his arrest was issued and he was arrested and charged Thursday night after being taken into custody at a traffic stop, Voyles tells Inside Edition Digital.
It is unclear if he has obtained a lawyer.
Hernandez was arrested this week and taken to the Bay County Jail to await his first court appearance. He has been assigned a public defender. He has not yet entered a plea.
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to the office of the public defender for comment and has not heard back.
“Illegal dumping not only affects the property owner who must clean up the property but also surrounding neighbors,” Chief Barry Roberts said in a press release. “We are grateful for the cooperation of the involved businesses for their help in identifying the suspects.”
Anyone in Florida who needs to dispose of materials safely should contact the Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection (FDEP) for assistance, officials said.
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