alligator
Photo taken in Miami, United States

Meanwhile in Florida: Man Arrested With Trifecta of Guns, Drugs and Baby Alligator, Florida to Change Its State Flag

There are a few things we’ll never be surprised to see in a headline from Florida: guns, drugs, and alligators. What is rare and surprising, however, is when all three pop up in the same Sunshine State traffic stop.

Per a post on their Facebook page, Collier County deputies were shocked at the discovery they made after pulling over a black GMC Sierra pickup last Friday around 12:30 a.m. on Friday near 12th Street Southeast and Golden Gate Boulevard in Naples. The driver was apparently someone known to the local authorities as having a suspended license.

Upon inspection of the vehicle, the authorities said they “found more than they bargained for,” meaning guns, drugs, and…wait for it…a baby alligator?! (‘Cause that makes sense.)

Let’s unpack each of these infractions one at a time. The weapons were unearthed from beneath the front passenger seat and inside the glove compartment. Then multiple loaded syringes were found inside the front-seat passenger’s jacket, which were later confirmed to contain meth.

As if this wasn’t wild enough already, they then found a live baby alligator just chillin’ in an open plastic tub in the bed of the pickup truck. What the hell the gator was doing there is still unclear. (But we bet it was super cute.) Maybe criminals need emotional support animals, too?

Who knows. What we do know is that the front-seat passenger, 31-year-old Michael Marolla, was arrested on two counts of carrying a concealed firearm and two drug charges. Strangely, there was no action taken regarding the baby alligator, even though it is illegal to remove gators from the wild without a license.

As for the gator, it was turned over to wildlife officers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Its fate is unknown. We sure hope it doesn’t end up behind bars like its captor.

Cover Photo: Paul Carter / EyeEm (Getty Images)
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