US EditionTeen Arrested for Swinging, Kicking Baby Alligator in Volusia County, Report States
Deputies say video and security footage showed the boy swinging the gator by its tail and kicking it before a felony arrest.
- On Tuesday, Volusia County deputies arrested a 14-year-old boy accused of abusing a baby alligator at the Stetson Aquatic Center. He faces a third-degree felony charge for the alleged mistreatment.
- A security officer witnessed the incident via surveillance cameras on April 3, observing the teen swinging the alligator by its tail and kicking it. She reported the abuse to deputies, triggering the investigation.
- Deputies questioned five teens at the scene, who initially denied involvement. Evidence from surveillance footage led authorities to take the 14-year-old into custody at the VSO Juvenile Resource Center; the other four faced no charges.
- Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood stated that "abusing wildlife is not a way to spend your downtime," emphasizing the felony's seriousness. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is assisting the investigation.
- Alligators are protected under state and federal law, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reminds the public to maintain safe distance and never feed or approach these animals.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Teen to Learn 'Expensive Lesson' After Gator Abuse
A Florida teen accused of abusing a baby alligator is "going to learn a very expensive lesson," a sheriff says. WKMG reports that a 14-year-old boy was arrested after a Stetson University public safety officer said she watched him on surveillance cameras swinging a small gator by its tail and...
Florida Teen, 14, Faces Felony Charge For Allegedly Swinging and Kicking a Baby Alligator
"Unfortunately, this young man is going to learn a very expensive lesson," Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood saidA person holding a small alligator closeup view of the reptiles head and upper bodyCredit: gettyNEED TO KNOWA 14-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly swinging and kicking a baby alligator at the Stetson Aquatic Center in FloridaThe teen was booked into the Volusia Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Resource Center and faces a felony charge for …
Florida teen arrested for swinging baby alligator by tail, kicking dirt on it, deputies say
A Florida 14-year-old is potentially facing charges after surveillance video showed him picking up a baby alligator by its tail and swinging it around his head, and kicking dirt onto it, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
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