Homeless man who illegally dug up Seattle park with excavator has built cabin there and now says he's constructing GOLD MINE underneath it

A man is facing criminal charges after he dug up part of a wooded Seattle park hillside using a stolen excavator, and then built a cabin in which he has been living for several months. 

Steven Irwin, 41, has caused $15,000 worth of damage among the foliage which the city's Parks Department has repaired, but the man has now erected a cabin in which to live and is planning on building a mine to search for gold underground.

Irwin claims he 'had permission' for the construction of a cabin in Dr. Jose Rizal Park in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood.

The unit comes compete with several generators, fireplaces, propane heaters, a washing machine, and even a treadmill.

Steven Irwin, who is homeless, is facing criminal charges for digging up parts of a Seattle city park hillside with an excavator and then building a cabin

Irwin claims he had permission for the construction of a cabin in Dr. Jose Rizal Park in Seattle and used an excavator to do so

The tent structure has since turned into something more semi-permanent and a cabin has been built

The cabin is equipped with a generator, fireplace, propane heaters, a washing machine, and a treadmill

The 'cabin' appears to have all kinds of domestic appliances including a washer/dryer 

Park stewards and neighbors are concerned about the safety and environmental impact of Irwin's activities. 

Andrea Suarez of We Heart Seattle, a homeless outreach group offering assistance to Irwin, has expressed worries about the potential hazards present in the camp, citing the presence of kerosene, propane, and gasoline.

'He is digging into the slopes, building structures, tearing down trees, undoing thousands of dollars in repairs,' said Suarez to KOMO. 

'There's also a risk for him being in that environment. There are smells of kerosene, propane, and gasoline - there are three different forms of fuel down here, wires everywhere. It's a ticking timebomb.' 

Suarez even offered to cover the first six months of housing for Irwin, but he has insisted on keeping his cabin in the woods. 

When the group searched his makeshift encampment, they found chainsaws, five pounds of weed, methamphetamines and a dozen stolen credit cards.

It appears Irwin has not faced any consequences at all despite cutting down trees on the park slope.

Irwin can be seen with a couple of bags as he climbs onto the excavator he stole

In October 2023, Irwin was arrested but was quickly released allowing him to return to the park

Police are seen on scene during Irwin's arrest in October 2023

Police are seen making their way through the park in order to reach Irwin's encampment

Andrea Suarez, from We Heart Seattle, a boots on the ground, grassroots community group dedicated to cleaning up the city's park is pictured 

His claims of a possible gold mine on site have been met with skepticism.

'He's dreaming up that this is a gold mine, that he's mining for diamonds, and that he is going to find gold and strike it rich,' Suarez said. 

Irwin was arrested in October for driving an excavator into a grove of trees to clear space for his cabin. Police arrested him, and he was taken to jail and then released.

Pictures from the time show trees that had been chopped down and tire tracks in the dirt. 

'I just happen to come across him as I was coming home,' park steward Genevieve Courtney told Fox 13. 

'He was driving a little crazy with this heavy piece of machinery. I called 911 and they were like, 'Does he have a weapon?' I am like, 'Yes, he has a backhoe. That's a weapon.''

Irwin's encampment can be be seen in the woods of Dr. Jose Rizal Park in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood

Irwin's cabin can be seen in pictures from earlier this month

Irwin appears pretty settled in the camp with clothes hanging along a fence

The structure appears to have a semi-permanent feel to it with wooden logs for walls

All manner of garbage can be seen among Irwin's possessions including a generator  

Police officers can be making their way towards Irwin's cabin in the woods 

Irwin is seen during his arrest in October 2023 when he was charged with property destruction, theft of a motor vehicle and possessing auto theft tools by the Seattle City Attorney's Office

'It's scary seeing someone with a big excavator going through the park, and it could have been a lot worse of a situation,' Courtney said.

But the experience appears to have done little to deter him and Irwin is now using power tools to clear away more park foliage.

'There was significant damage to the underbrush, vegetation, and fencing pieces where the suspect drove the excavator from the street into the valley, and Irwin told me he got permission from the construction workers to use the excavator to build a new home,' a Seattle police officer wrote in a report at the time. 

Irwin was charged with property destruction, theft of a motor vehicle and possessing auto theft tools by the Seattle City Attorney's Office. 

Calls for some form of intervention by police and the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department continue persist, with concerns about safety, environmental impact, and the need for a resolution to the ongoing issues posed by Irwin's activities. 

'This guy is just getting away with it, and I don't understand that. We are absolutely frustrated. We need some civility here, we need police action,' said Brian Hartman, a neighbor.

'For somebody to have the nerve to take a piece of equipment of this value and destroy our urban forest makes you question everything,' Suarez said.

'Why are we here in the first place? Why has Seattle become a no-rules playground?'