A man is said to have lived unlawfully at a makeshift campsite in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest for about eight years, after which federal authorities found the site surrounded by approximately 1,000 pounds of accumulated trash. NBC News and other outlets cite court records and officials’ statements describing an “illegal campsite” with a hot, wood-burning campfire despite fire restrictions. ABC News reports the man was found at the encampment, while The Guardian and other sources say he later pleaded guilty. The Guardian identifies the man as Mark Aaron Gatz and reports that he was arrested at the campsite in June. Several reports also say he ignored warnings and faced repeated citations from U.S. Forest Service officers over his stay. Authorities say he violated federal fire restrictions, and some reports add that he admitted to starting a fire. The cases described include outstanding warrants and that he was taken into custody after authorities located the campsite, with the matter proceeding through the federal court system.
Arizona man pleads guilty after years living illegally in Tonto National Forest amid trash
A man is said to have lived unlawfully at a makeshift campsite in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest for about eight years, after which federal authorities found the site surrounded by approximately 1,00...
- Authorities say a man lived unlawfully at an illegal campsite in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest for about eight years.
- Officials reported the campsite was surrounded by approximately 1,000 pounds of trash.
- Court documents cited describe a hot wood-burning campfire despite federal fire restrictions.
- Reporting says the man received repeated citations/warnings from U.S. Forest Service officers and ignored them.
- Some sources report the man pleaded guilty and faced federal fire-restriction-related charges.
In an alarming case, a man pleaded guilty to residing unlawfully in Arizona's Tonto National Forest for eight long years. Despite facing repeated citations from Forest Service officers, he ignored warnings and built an extensive illegal campsite littered with nearly one thousand pounds of garbage. He also confessed to starting a fire, flouting fire restrictions.
1 month agoA man who spent about eight years living off the grid in a remote Arizona forest has been sentenced after authorities discovered his makeshift campsite surrounded by roughly 1,000 pounds of trash.
1 month agoIf you’re going to live off the grid to remove yourself from society, the least you can do is clean up the enormous mountain of trash that makes you easy to spot. According to federal court records and reporting from NBC News, a 65-year-old Arizona man pleaded guilty after authorities found him living illegally in […] The post Arizona Man’s Illegal Forest Campsite Was Surrounded by 1,000 Pounds of Trash, Officials Say appeared first on VICE.
1 month agoMark Gatz was arrested at illegal campsite in June and had faced multiple citations for residing in Tonto national forestA man in Arizona has pleaded guilty to violating federal fire restrictions and unlawfully residing in a national forest, after authorities said he spent years living at a makeshift campsite surrounded by what officials described as “approximately 1,000 pounds of trash”.Mark Aaron Gatz was arrested on 25 June at his illegal campsite in Arizona’s Tonto national forest, according to court records. A United States Forest Service (USFS) officer wrote in documents submitted to court that Gatz had been operating an “illegal campsite” with a “hot wood burning campfire” despite fire restrictions and that he had told investigators that he had been living in the forest for about eight years. Continue reading...
1 month agoA man was arrested after years of illegal camping in an Arizona national forest. Forest rangers discovered nearly one thousand pounds of accumulated garbage at his site. He had also violated fire restrictions by maintaining a wood-burning fire. The man faced multiple outstanding arrest warrants for his past actions. He was taken to the Coconino County Detention Center.
1 month agoA man amassed around 1,000 pounds of trash at a campsite in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest, where, he told police, he’d been living for eight years, according to court documents.
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