Current:Home > StocksFlorida man charged after lassoing 9-foot alligator: 'I was just trying to help' -ProsperityStream Academy
Florida man charged after lassoing 9-foot alligator: 'I was just trying to help'
View
Date:2025-04-11 15:42:23
A 71-year-old Florida man was arrested and spent the night in jail after authorities say he illegally "lassoed" an alligator.
Robert Tencie Colin of Cape Canaveral was charged last week after he captured a gator without proper permissions, according to local authorities. Colin was concerned about the turtles in his local canal, he told the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and received no response when he called the office or animal control.
"They don’t have the manpower or the hours to wait for this alligator to appear," he told Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY network. "I thought I was doing them a favor, helping them.”
How did Colin lasso the gator and what is charged with?
Colin took matters into his own hands on Wednesday, using a nylon clothesline to create a noose-style loop to “lasso” what he told Florida Today was an "aggressive" gator.
Colin managed to get the loop hooked around the 9-foot gator's upper jaw, at which point he tied the rope to a handrail to secure it and called authorities. When police responded, Colin initially told them that he had found that gator that way because he didn't “want the glory" of telling them he'd trapped it, he told Florida Today.
After reviewing security footage, however, police were able to confirm that Colin had been the one to capture the gator. Because Colin does not have a license or permit to legally remove or attempt to remove a gator, he was charged with killing, injuring, or possessing an alligator or egg without authorization, a felony, police told USA TODAY.
“I said, ‘Let me tell you what I did to help you out,’ and they told me to put my hands behind my back," Colin said. "I told them I couldn’t do that because I just had heart surgery ... I didn’t know it was illegal. I’m not from Florida. I was just trying to help.”
Colin told Florida Today he spent about 13 hours in jail before he was released on a $2,500 bond. Multiple local outlets have reported that the gator, which was classified as a nuisance, was later euthanized.
There are proper channels to follow to get a nuisance or dangerous gator removed from an area, a representative for the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office told USA TODAY. Concerned citizens could contact local law enforcement or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to have a licensed trapper come out and relocate the animal.
veryGood! (35)
Related
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Ranking
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
Recommendation
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15