In an ongoing investigation, the Brookhaven Police Department apprehended a suspect for illegal tire dumping in the city.

Around 2 p.m. on June 6, a BPD officer made contact with the driver of a U-Haul rental truck that was parked behind 1975 North Druid Hills Road, the site of an abandoned Hampton Inn property. The vehicle was involved in an unlawful dumping case on May 29 in the city of Brookhaven, according to the report.

Driver Clarance Darral Ruffin, 61, was questioned by BPD about the vehicle, and eventually transported to DeKalb County Jail. He was charged with loitering and prowling, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a drug-related object. 

BPD towed the truck, obtained a search warrant, and found more than 100 used tires in the cargo area. BPD said the case is ongoing while they work with other jurisdictions. Tire dumping is a misdemeanor in the state of Georgia.

Ruffin has a prior arrest record of forgery in Newton County in 2020.

The DeKalb County Sanitation division will collect up to four passenger tires from a residential home at a fee of $2 per tire. Residents may also take up to 10 passenger tires to the Seminole Road Landfill, 4203 Clevemont Road, Ellenwood, GA, 30294.