The trial is underway for Santo Anza, a Northborough man who is facing allegations of operating an illegal dump at his property on Whitney Street, and also animal cruelty charges, according to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.
A resident and neighbor, Gina Babcock, testified in the trial that began last Friday, stating that the smell of garbage made her feel “like a hostage in my own home.”
Anza, who is 52, has been called before numerous Northborough boards—including the ZBA and Board of Selectmen—on many occasions after complaints about his operation of SA Farms, which residents argue is a mask for an illegal dumping ground.
He was arraigned in connection with multiple environmental violations and animal cruelty last January, announced by Attorney General Martha Coakley. Anza, said the release, was arraigned on the charges of violating the Massachusetts Clean Air Act (three counts), violating the Massachusetts Solid Waste Act (10 counts), and Animal Cruelty (three counts). Santo Anza was arraigned today in Worcester Superior Court where he pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance, with the condition that he not contact citizen witnesses who testified against him.
The Telegram also reported that truck drivers for E.L. Harvey & Sons testified at the trial on Friday that they had "delivered loads of fruit wastes or scraps to the Whitney Street site in August 2011." The trial will continue on Friday, Jan. 4.