A 2-year-old girl in Washington D.C. received a $75 citation from police Thursday for allegedly littering near an alley by her home.
Teresa Westover, whose 2-year-old daughter received a citation, told Fox 5 DC that she called the Department of Public Works but they refused to void the ticket.
“Can you believe they issued a ticket to her for littering?” Westover told the station. “And Harper at the time of course goes, ‘That’s not good,’ because we know that we don’t throw trash on the ground.”
According to The Washington Post, the sanitation workers found the piece of trash with the girl’s name on it and she received the ticket. Westover contended that her daughter didn’t haul trash to the alley.
Westover’s neighbors said they don’t want to start seeing littering enforcement because their alley in their neighborhood has become a dumping ground for things like stereos and lawnmowers.
The Department of Public Works told Fox 5 DC in a statement that they’re working with Westover in order to get the situation settled.
"DPW’s Solid Waste Education and Enforcement Program is responsible for inspecting sanitation violations to ensure cleanliness is maintained throughout District neighborhoods. The work they do goes a long way toward minimizing rodent infestation and health hazards.
“Inspectors always evaluate the contents of the waste that appears to be in violation and use identifying information found within the waste to issue a citation. In this instance, we are working with the resident to gather the necessary documentation to dismiss the violation inadvertently given to the two-year old.”