Florida Man Arrested For Beating Up Alligator to “Teach It A Lesson”
Florida Men standards have been set pretty low over the years, but this guy sets a whole new standard.
According to police, a 32-year-old fisherman named William Hodge was arrested yesterday after officers watched him try to throw an alligator on top of a building in Daytona Beach Shores.
When his throw didn't work as well as he thought it would, Hodge slammed the reptile to the ground and stomped on it, according to the affidavit.
Police said when they approached Hodge, he "raised his hands up as if he were giving up and was taken into custody.”
When cops asked him why he was throwing it around and harming it, he said he was "teaching it a lesson."
Investigators say Hodge took the alligator from a nearby enclosure at Congo River Golf & Exploration, a mini-golf course that offers opportunities to pet and feed alligators.
While the report doesn't specify the size or weight of the gator, the course's Facebook page shows one of the feeding opportunities. The gators don't look that big.
The gator was returned to Congo River's general manager, who said the gator is valued at about $300.
Hodge was charged with animal cruelty, possession and injury of an alligator, unarmed burglary, theft, and criminal mischief.
He's currently in the Volusia County jail in lieu of bond set at $4500.
Read more at The Smoking Gun