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'Aggressive' Gator Kills Burglary Suspect

Posted: 2007-11-13 22:45:55

Filed Under: Nation News

MICCOSUKEE TRIBE INDIAN RESERVATION, Fla. (Nov. 13) - A man who jumped into a lake to flee police was killed by an alligator more than 9-feet long, officials said Tuesday.

The man, whose name has not been released, was allegedly burglarizing a vehicle in the parking lot of the Miccosukee Resort and Convention Center on Thursday. He ran when police arrived at the scene, said Dexter Lehtinen, one of the tribe's police legal advisors.

Tribal police divers searched for the man that night, then again Friday morning and afternoon. During the third dive, the body was recovered. It bore alligator teeth marks on the upper torso.

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department said the cause of death was an alligator attack.

An accomplice in the alleged burglary has been arrested. The Miccosukee tribe, which is not obligated to follow Florida's open records laws, declined to release his name. Without a name, the Miami-Dade state attorney's office was unable to comment on whether the man has been charged.

The alligator believed to be responsible for the death has been killed. A coroner was scheduled to examine the 9-foot-3 reptile Wednesday for human hair or skin, said Brian Wood, owner of All American Gator Products, which is storing the gator in a cooler for now. It will then be incinerated or buried, he said.

A sign at the lake warns people: "Danger Live Alligators." Wood said in other alligator habitats, signs also warn people not to feed the creatures.

"They become too comfortable being around humans and they equate humans to food," Wood said. "Generally if a gator sees a person, he goes the other way, he goes down, he hides. This gator was aggressive, not afraid of people."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2007-11-13 22:45:55

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2295 comments

brinkmang 10:21:45 AM Nov 16 2007

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When will the police start training a G9 force? It's an incredible idea. Better n dogs

whphantom4 09:46:11 AM Nov 16 2007

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Too bad there isn't a Medal of Honor for alligators. I live in Northern Indiana and there are areas up here where we could use a whole bunch of gators to combat crime. Too bad they don't like cold weather. "GO GATORS GO".

tamtau 09:42:54 AM Nov 16 2007

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i think the guy got what was coming to him thats what you get for stealing and if the family gets money out of this that would be so wrong just one less person for florida to pay for why he sits in jail cause you know he would get out and do it all over again and i dont think the gator should not of been killed that was his place and it would be no diffrent if he was breaking into someones home and got killed do bad in life and bad things come back to you this was just in the form of a gator i dont feel bad for him or his family

Austinb807 09:30:57 AM Nov 16 2007

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rrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrdddddddddddddddddddd

robtsolomon 09:19:53 AM Nov 16 2007

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They should not have killed the alligator. They should have sued it for depriving the burglar of his civil rights by neglecting to invoke the Miranda clause.

JhnCool2 08:33:32 AM Nov 16 2007

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you frst have to get the stupit people to think . florida----water---gator---- eat

JhnCool2 08:33:22 AM Nov 16 2007

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you frst have to get the stupit people to think . florida----water---gator---- eat

catalyst8 08:28:33 AM Nov 16 2007

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<<So when does the law suit against the State of Florida begin? After all this poor fellow was forced to flee in gator infested waters by police. His family will probally be awarded 3 or 5 million.>>

You are so right! Sad but true -- there probably will be a lawsuit.

redrazca 08:16:45 AM Nov 16 2007

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Granted, the alligator attacked, but in defense. He was probably sleeping, or at least resting, when this guy comes stomping frantically into the water, probably right next to him. Alligators are extremely territorial about their space. I guess this seemingly aggressive entrance into his peaceful space would instantly anger any animal of any kind, let alone a prehistoric reptile built like an aquatic German tank with claws. If you'll notice, the alligator didn't eat him, he just grabbed him, leaving teeth "marks." To say he deserved being killed by an alligator, by the way, is a ridiculous statement full of disdain for fellow man. The guy was afraid and over-reacted. Perhaps he wasn't from Florida because any Floridian thinks twice about ever stepping into fresh water in the wild. To be afraid of the police is not stupid at all though; most of them these days are a bunch of wolf-pack like, legalized, hoodlems that never grew up, and the worst part about it is they are armed wit