Four Face Charges in Philly Trash Rage

PHILADELPHIA – Four members of a South Philadelphia family were facing aggravated assault charges for beating up a city trash collector. Richard Meyers said it started after he passed a house that didn’t have its trash curbside.

The members of the family, Eugene Dykes, 37; his wife, Latonia, 37; and their sons, Eugene Jr., 17; and Norman Cutright, 22, were being held Wednesday pending arraignments.

Meyers said he and co-worker Kareem Govan, 20, were slowly following their city trash truck and picking up trash bags to put in back when Eugene Dykes yelled for the truck to stop after it passed his house. The truck kept moving, though slowly enough for Dykes to put the trash in the back, Meyers said.

Meyers said Dykes got angry and he, his wife and sons began hitting and kicking him and Govan.

“The mom punches me, then the two sons hit me, one from the right and one from the left,” Meyers said. “They hit me in both eyes. … I dropped down under the truck for protection.”