A man known to authorities as "Tupac" is back behind bars after deputies say surveillance video caught him setting a trash fire that chewed through county property on a Miami‑Dade roadside.
The blaze, lit on June 27 among piles of illegally dumped waste, burned through a stretch of fence and damaged drainage pipes along with a county pole camera. Deputies identified the suspect as 50‑year‑old Edwin Vega Serrano and estimated roughly $4,200 in repair costs. County workers who spotted the man later helped point deputies straight to him, according to the arrest report.
Surveillance footage and the report show Serrano igniting a heap of illegally dumped trash just northeast of 3333 NW 38th Street, then smashing a Miami‑Dade Solid Waste Department pole camera and setting a bag on fire in the middle of NW 33rd Avenue, according to Local 10. Investigators say the fire damaged about 45 feet of fencing and five 18‑inch drainage pipes. Deputies booked Serrano on counts of second‑degree arson and criminal mischief.
Two Department of Transportation and Public Works employees later spotted him near Northwest 33rd Avenue and 37th Street and flagged down a deputy, who detained Serrano, the report states. He invoked his right to counsel and, as of Wednesday morning, was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as "to be set."
Illegal dumping is already a sore spot in Miami‑Dade, and county officials say it brings safety hazards and higher cleanup bills. The county's Solid Waste Management site notes that violators can face fines, vehicle seizure and arrest, and that the department leans on cameras and targeted patrols to catch repeat dumpers, according to Miami‑Dade County Solid Waste Management.
Charges and possible penalties
Serrano is facing second‑degree arson and criminal mischief charges tied to the June 27 fire. Under Florida law, arson and related offenses are outlined in Chapter 806, and sentencing structures are set out in Chapter 775. A second‑degree felony can carry a maximum of up to 15 years in prison. The statutory language and penalty ranges are detailed in the Florida Statutes and in the relevant penalty provisions of the Florida Statutes.
County cleanup costs and surveillance
Miami‑Dade has already poured significant money into illegal‑dumping enforcement and cleanup. In 2023 alone, the county recorded nearly $1.7 million spent on those efforts, according to CBS Miami. Vandalism and trash fires like the one deputies described in this case add to those bills and complicate surveillance meant to catch chronic offenders.
Serrano remains in county custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where online records still listed his bond status as "to be set." Deputies said he declined to answer questions when he was detained. Prosecutors will now review the arrest report and decide whether to file formal charges and set a court date.
County officials are urging residents to report illegal dumping in progress to 911 and to use 311 or the county's online portal for non‑emergency reports so investigators can follow up. The Solid Waste Management page also lays out how to schedule bulky‑waste pickup and lists permitted disposal options for both residents and businesses.
