Two arrested for allegedly releasing alligator in lake
Jim McDonnell, first assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, holds a picture of the Machado Lake alligator.
Thursday, August 25, 2005; Posted: 10:26 a.m. EDT (14:26 GMT)
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Two people were arrested Wednesday for allegedly turning an alligator loose in a small city lake, where the reptile has evaded capture while drawing many spectators.
The two people were taken into custody at a home where officers also seized other alligators, turtles and snakes.
The Machado Lake alligator was first seen August 12 and has drawn crowds of the curious, who look through binoculars or lob treats such as jelly doughnuts into the water.
A Colorado gator wrangler tried for two days last week to capture the reptile. A crew from Florida's Gatorland attraction started scouring the lake Tuesday and offered to take the gator back with them if the city doesn't want to keep it.
"We have a 110-acre park where alligators live a long, happy, sheltered life," Gatorland spokeswoman Michelle Harris said. "We think he would make a nice fit."
Gatorland's team of four offered to do the job for free, not including travel expenses.
But the gator's fame appears to have rubbed off on Councilwoman Janice Hahn.
"They offered to take it back, but we haven't decided that's the right thing to do," Hahn said. "After all, it's an L.A. gator."
Television crews have staked out the lake, but the gator has generally been camera shy. Rarely have people seen much more than its eyes poking above the surface of the water in recent days.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/08/25/gator.lake.ap/index.html
Jim McDonnell, first assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, holds a picture of the Machado Lake alligator.
Thursday, August 25, 2005; Posted: 10:26 a.m. EDT (14:26 GMT)
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Two people were arrested Wednesday for allegedly turning an alligator loose in a small city lake, where the reptile has evaded capture while drawing many spectators.
The two people were taken into custody at a home where officers also seized other alligators, turtles and snakes.
The Machado Lake alligator was first seen August 12 and has drawn crowds of the curious, who look through binoculars or lob treats such as jelly doughnuts into the water.
A Colorado gator wrangler tried for two days last week to capture the reptile. A crew from Florida's Gatorland attraction started scouring the lake Tuesday and offered to take the gator back with them if the city doesn't want to keep it.
"We have a 110-acre park where alligators live a long, happy, sheltered life," Gatorland spokeswoman Michelle Harris said. "We think he would make a nice fit."
Gatorland's team of four offered to do the job for free, not including travel expenses.
But the gator's fame appears to have rubbed off on Councilwoman Janice Hahn.
"They offered to take it back, but we haven't decided that's the right thing to do," Hahn said. "After all, it's an L.A. gator."
Television crews have staked out the lake, but the gator has generally been camera shy. Rarely have people seen much more than its eyes poking above the surface of the water in recent days.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/08/25/gator.lake.ap/index.html
