What started as an ordinary morning for a Minneapolis area TikTok creator quickly took a bizarre turn when he discovered the chopped-up remains of a passenger vehicle stuffed inside a local dumpster.
The videos, posted in June 2026 by TiceJames (@tjsol22), have attracted millions of views after showing what appear to be sections of a passenger vehicle, including an apparent engine, inside a commercial dumpster. The creator identified the location only as the Twin Cities area and did not identify the apartment complex.
“I’ve never seen a car in a dumpster before,” TiceJames says in the first video. Looking inside the container, he adds, “There’s an engine in there, the whole thing in there. It looks like a Ford Focus or something.”
Some viewers agreed with the creator’s initial guess, while others disagreed. One commenter called it a W222 Mercedes, noting the fuel door and taillight shape. “I checked a part number I saw in the video,” the comment said. No official source has identified the vehicle.
The waste-collection driver called it in
The video then shifts to a waste-collection driver who appears to inspect the contents before deciding not to empty the dumpster. According to TiceJames, “After we determined what was in it, he’s gonna call it in. Cause there’s like a gas tank and an engine and everything in it.”
Before they chatted, the waste-collection worker briefly questioned whether the TikTok creator himself was responsible for loading the heavy automotive scrap into the bin.
“We got to talking, and he’s like, ‘oh hell no, I ain’t dumping that thing,'” TiceJames said, adding, “He did not dump it, which was probably a good thing.”
In a follow-up, the creator said he later noticed another section of the apparent vehicle in a different dumpster, suggesting there’s a “good chance that this thing is stolen.” TiceJames acknowledged he did not know how it ended up there.
Online, many viewers focused on the logistics rather than the mystery itself. One comment read, “How do you just toss an engine in there. They [weigh] way too much.”
Twin Cities garbage policy: No car parts allowed
The incident also raised questions about disposal rules. According to the City of Minneapolis, illegal dumping includes placing trash or other items into someone else’s dumpster without permission. Residents who witness illegal dumping in progress should call 911, while completed incidents can be reported through Minneapolis 311.
The city says property owners remain responsible for removing illegally dumped material if it appears on their property. The city also notes that auto parts are not accepted through its residential garbage collection program.
As of publication, no Minneapolis Police Department, St. Paul Police Department, or other local law enforcement agency has issued a public statement about the dumpster incident. A review of available local media reports likewise found no independently reported police account connected to the viral videos. The events shown have not been independently verified
Published: Jun 26, 2026 01:21 pm