Cremated Remains Dumped in 500-Lb Trash Pile, Suspect Charged

In a disturbing incident, the cremated remains of a woman who died in 2024 were recently found in a large pile of illegally dumped trash in Punta Gorda, Florida. On October 30, 2025, Charlotte County Sheriff officers responded to the area and discovered a 500-pound trash pile.

Amid the waste, the officers found a bag labeled with the cremated human remains, which were later identified as belonging to 39-year-old Nina Monica Brown. Brown, a mother of four, had passed away the previous year.

Daniel Rolando, a 26-year-old man, has since been charged with a felony count for littering over 500 pounds of commercial or hazardous waste. Authorities obtained surveillance footage and records showing Rolando purchasing two storage units at an auction on October 16, 2025, and later admitting to dumping the items he did not want.

Brown's friend, Precious Tunstall, expressed her outrage at the incident, stating that it was "very inconsiderate" of Rolando to dump her friend's remains. Tunstall hopes to obtain Brown's ashes and return them to her family, so her children can have her remains.

The investigation into this disturbing case is ongoing, and authorities are working to determine how the cremated remains ended up in the illegal trash pile.