2 face felony prices over balloon pollution in Biscayne Bay; could face time in prison

MIAMI – A 26-year-old girl and a 29-year-old man are dealing with felony fees over the disposal of balloons into Biscayne Bay after these were used to brighten a yacht during a marriage proposal.

A witness shared a video on Instagram and environmentalists had been outraged. Marine animals usually mistake the nonbiodegradable deflated balloons for jellyfish. Turtles eat it. Seabirds feed it to their younger.

Miami-Dade cops also issued civil citations with more than $23,000 in fines for the unlawful dumping at the Bayshore Touchdown Marina in Coconut Grove. This has been a extra painful studying experience for Martina Gaspoz and David Torres-Bocanegra who have been both working.

Officers arrested Gaspoz on Friday and Torres-Bocanegra on Wednesday. They're facing prices of willful disregard for the atmosphere, a third-degree felony punishable with a tremendous of as much as $50,000 or imprisonment for 5 years, or both. Her bond was $5,000.

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Officers arrested Torres-Bocanegra for reckless disregard for the setting, a second-degree misdemeanor punishable with a tremendous of up to $10,000 or 60 days in jail, or both. His bond was $500. Detective Angel Rodriguez later clarified there was a mistake with the charge.

Detectives didn't contemplate the couple who received engaged on Tuesday to be the culprits. Instead, officers issued citations to the two companies — the event planner and the yacht constitution — that the long run groom employed.

Also, not everybody who obtained a $2,510 citation actually touched the balloons or was present for the celebration.

Dessideria D’Caro De Capriles, of Doral, is the proprietor of the charter yacht. Gabriela Castillo was the occasion coordinator. Francisco Feo was the particular person in control of the constitution firm. Officers additionally cited Tulio Capriles, Iulia Tyshchenko, Viacheslav Diadiura, and Efrain Hernandez.

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Environmental advocates need Miami-Dade officials to do extra.

The Florida Ocean CleanUp Society, a nonprofit group, set up a Change.org petition asking Miami-Dade’s Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, the chief bay officer, and commissioners to pilot a new ordinance banning balloons and confetti in coastal waters.

“Banning balloons and confetti isn’t going to resolve the air pollution problem. Nevertheless, we consider it’s important and necessary to spark a cultural shift,” the petitioner wrote adding, “We beg the Miami-Dade county to go legislation to guard our ecosystem and improve environmental consciousness among boaters and the constitution industry.”

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For more tales about protecting Biscayne Bay, visit the Don’t Trash Our Treasure page. Local 10 News Environmental Advocate Louis Aguirre leads the group.

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