Three Okeechobee men were arrested Thursday after a K9 tracked one suspect through dense saw palmetto woods where authorities say they illegally harvested 350 pounds of berries on state land along I-95 in Vero Beach. All three are being held without bond at the Indian River County Jail.
A corporal spotted a red vehicle parked in the woods along the state-owned median of I-95 near Mile Marker 159 at approximately 9:30 a.m. Thursday, according to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office. Officers found Williams in the woods holding a white bag and plant pruners, actively cutting a stalk of berries from a saw palmetto tree. Williams admitted he was harvesting the berries and told officers two other men were with him.
A Fellsmere Police Department officer located Gabbard just south of Williams' location. Gabbard admitted that he and the others drove from Okeechobee before sunrise in his sister's car to harvest the berries. Deputies then searched for the third suspect, identified only as Ray.
After technical issues forced a drone down, law enforcement issued loud verbal warnings before bringing in a Florida Highway Patrol K9 unit. The K9 tracked Howard to a thick canopy of razor-sharp saw palmetto trees. Howard refused commands to come out with his hands up and was ultimately apprehended by the K9.
Howard later claimed he was napping and did not hear officers yelling, though deputies noted the sharp, serrated limbs and rough ground made his claim highly unlikely. All three men admitted post-Miranda that they did not have permission to be on state land and did not hold required harvesting permits from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Throughout the wooded median, authorities recovered multiple large bags filled with freshly cut saw palmetto berries weighing approximately 350 pounds total. Inside and around the vehicle, officers found additional pruning shears, empty bags, headlamps, and flashlights.