The family of one of two teens facing charges in a trash-dumping investigation from the Boca Bash event has issued a statement of apology following the teens’ surrender to authorities at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“We take the responsibility of caring for our oceans and our community very seriously, and we are extremely saddened by what occurred last weekend at Boca Bash. We want to extend our sincerest apologies to everyone who has been impacted and rightfully upset by what occurred,” said the emailed statement, released through a spokesperson.
“Our family and our counsel have remained in touch with FWC since we were first contacted by them and have continued to cooperate with all authorities. As a family, we agree with FWC Commissioner Rodney Barreto that this is a teaching moment for the young kids involved and they should certainly participate in community service and ocean conservation efforts to deepen their understanding of the importance of our community and environment.”
Two teens turned themselves in Friday following the FWC’s nearly weeklong investigation. FWC reports identified the teens as 15 and 16 years old who reside in Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach Post is not naming the teens because of their ages.
FWC chair says ‘the world is watching us’ after Boca Bash trash dumping goes viral
FWC investigators said they identified the teens as the people seen on video dumping two barrels of trash from a boat into the ocean April 28 at the Boca Bash, an unsanctioned outdoor event that attracts thousands of boaters, Jet-Ski riders and kayakers to Lake Boca annually on the final Sunday of April.
The trash-dumping incident, captured by a drone, showed eight to 10 people in a three-engine fishing vessel named Halcyon leaving the Boca Raton Inlet in heaving waves. Two young men were then seen dumping two large buckets of garbage over the side of the boat, leaving a trail of multicolored cans, cups and bottles in their wake.
According to FWC report, the vessel’s owner lives in Gulf Stream, near Delray Beach, and is a relative of the younger teen.
The incident drew international attention and led Barreto, the FWC board’s chair, to tell fellow commissioners that “the world is watching us.”
Under Florida’s litter law, someone dumping litter that weighs 15 pounds or less can be fined $150, but it is not a criminal offense. If the litter exceeds 15 pounds but is under 500 pounds, it is a first-degree misdemeanor.
FWC investigators said they are working with the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office to determine what charges the teens will face.
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Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca Bash trash dumping: One teen’s parents ‘saddened,’ issue apology
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