A Texas woman has been charged after being accused of leaving multiple buckets of human feces outside of the local police station in the small town of Electra, about 145 miles northwest of Fort Worth, on November 10.
An affidavit filed with the Wichita County Court reported that an officer witnessed a woman wearing a yellow mask and an all-white hazmat suit returning to her vehicle after allegedly leaving something by the Electra Police Department’s front door.
According to the affidavit, that “something” was three five-gallon buckets of human waste, weighing a total of 50 pounds.
The officer who had witnessed the event approached the woman, who reportedly confirmed that “the buckets were human [waste] and she was dropping them off” before driving away.
The New York Post reported that the woman’s voice was later recognized by a police lieutenant upon viewing the surveillance footage. She was identified as Mindy Janette Stephens, the wife of the town’s assistant fire chief.
City administrator and local firefighter Steve Bowlin was then contacted by Police Chief Terry Wooten to address the mess with the 46-year-old Stephens.
However, she allegedly refused to pick up the buckets, saying that “it was not her problem.” A wastewater employee was then tasked with picking them up and disposing of them.
After she was charged with illegal dumping, a warrant was issued for Stephens’ arrest on November 14, according to the affidavit.
Illegal dumping constitutes a violation of the Texas Health Safety code and a Class B misdemeanor. If convicted, Stephens could face a fine of up to $2,000 and a jail term of up to 180 days.
Stephens was taken into custody and booked into Wichita County Jail on December 1. A day later she was released after posting a $2,000 bond.
No motive for the dump has been provided, and no further comment has been made by either Electra’s police department or its fire department.