The Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety (DBSDPS) shared a photo on Facebook regarding a man who was arrested for slamming an alligator to the ground and throwing it on top of the roof of a local business.
DBSDPS said that the man’s name is William “Bubba” Hodge and officers spotted him with the alligator walking down A1A, a Florida state road that runs north-south along the Atlantic Ocean.
As they watched, they witnessed Hodge trying to throw the gator onto the roof of a business and slamming it on the ground by its tail. At that point, they approached and arrested him on the spot for hurting the reptile.
“Hodge was charged with five offenses, including the felonies of Animal Cruelty, Possession/Injury of an Alligator, and Burglary” DBSDPS wrote on Facebook.
According to the department, Hodge was taken to the police station and the alligator was returned to the management of Congo River Golf from where Hodge said he stole it after they had a short wrestling match.
As of 2021, there are 1.3 million gators that live in Florida. Under state law, it’s a third-degree felony to kill or injure an alligator.
It’s also a felony to capture and keep an alligator or its eggs unless you purchase a special alligator trapping or farming license from the state.