VERO BEACH, Fla. — A pre-dawn operation to illegally harvest saw palmetto berries along the Interstate 95 corridor in Vero Beach resulted in the arrest of three Okeechobee men following a multi-agency search that ended with a K9 apprehension.
The incident unfolded on Thursday morning when a corporal with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office noticed a suspicious red vehicle parked along the state-owned wooded median of I-95 near Mile Marker 159.
Upon investigating the densely wooded area around 9:30 a.m., law enforcement discovered the first suspect, identified as Williams, holding a white bag and plant pruners. He was actively cutting a stalk of berries from a saw palmetto tree. After being taken into custody, Williams confessed to the illegal harvesting and informed deputies that two other individuals were operating in the woods with him.
Shortly after, an officer from the Fellsmere Police Department located the second suspect, Gabbard, just south of the initial scene. Gabbard admitted to authorities that the trio had driven up from Okeechobee before sunrise in his sister’s vehicle specifically to target the local berries.
The search for the third suspect, identified as Howard (initially referred to as “Ray”), proved more challenging due to the harsh Florida terrain.
Deputies initially deployed a drone to scan the dense brush, but technical issues forced the device down. After issuing loud verbal warnings that went unanswered, law enforcement called in a Florida Highway Patrol K9 unit to track the final suspect.
The K9 successfully tracked Howard into a thick canopy of razor-sharp saw palmetto trees. After refusing commands to surrender with his hands visible, Howard was physically apprehended by the K9. While Howard later claimed he was simply taking a nap and did not hear the officers’ loud commands, deputies noted that the rough terrain and serrated limbs of the palmettos made his story highly improbable.
Following their arrests, all three men were read their Miranda rights. They admitted they did not have authorization to be on the state-owned land, nor did they possess the mandatory harvesting permits required by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).
During the investigation of the median and the suspects’ vehicle, authorities recovered significant evidence of the illegal agricultural operation, including:
- Multiple large bags containing an estimated 350 pounds of freshly cut saw palmetto berries.
- Pruning shears utilized to detach the tough stalks.
- Empty bags prepared for further harvesting.
- Headlamps and flashlights, indicating the operation began under the cover of darkness.
The three suspects were subsequently transported and booked into the Indian River County Jail, where they were held without bond on charges related to the illegal harvesting and trespassing.
