TUCSON, Ariz. - Every day, Neil Rocker takes his two dogs for a walk along the Rose Hill wash. On his walks he typically finds trash in and around the wash until one day he saw something more.
"I was walking down the wash and lo and behold there were a pile of methadone bottles and I'm saying to myself 'Methadone bottles? What are they doing here?'" Rocker said.
This wasn't the only place he found the bottles.
"I walk up on another place and found a hole in the ground with more of them," Rocker said, and another pile in the middle of the lot next to the wash.
He was concerned with his findings, he went to the website nextdoor.com to spread awareness.
Many people commented on his post, sharing a similar concern. That's when Regional Director of Operations for the Community Medical Service Haley Horton commented on his post.
She explained that the methadone bottles were stolen over a year ago from a clinic that is now closed. After the theft was discovered, the clinic took steps to prevent further occurrences by placing locks on their dumpsters. They are also sending out a crew to clean up the mess.
9 On Your Side then followed up with her.
"Individuals sometimes will rifle through trash for various reasons," Horton said. "They think that the methadone bottles have some sort of value. But before we dispose of them we have to rinse them with isopropyl alcohol, so there's nothing in them."
Horton said the company plans to make sure the bottles found are cleaned up and that all the trash cans at their facilities have locks on them.
"We don't want litter or any kind of skepticism of drugs or anything out in the community," Horton said.
After the post was shared, Horton also said she and her team got together and decided to participate in community clean-up projects.
Rocker said he's just happy something positive is being done about it.
"It's just a wonderful area," Rocker said. "I've been walking it every day for 9 years and I just hate to see it messed up."
The Tucson Police Department said if anyone comes across anything like this they should call hazardous waste at 520-791-3171.
