Alligators have always been prominent in Florida and are frequently popping up in social media videos, but that didn’t ease the Jacksonville sheriff’s officers who discovered a 9-footer at a narcotics and dog-fighting crime scene apparently being fed animals on the property.
Some of the details are disturbing, so read on at your own discretion.
It began in March when the Sheriff’s Office received a tip that a house on Orlando Avenue near Lem Turner Road and Edgewood Avenue was being used to distribute illegal drugs. The SWAT team, narcotics unit and task force officers conducted a search at the house in May and found cocaine, oxycodone, marijuana and several firearms, the Sheriff’s Office said.
But it didn’t end there. Officers noticed multiple dogs on the property as well as dog-fighting equipment and paraphernalia.
“Some dogs were kept in skyboxes while others were chained,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “None had access to water. The dogs showed serious signs of neglect, including being covered in feces, fleas and infections. Some of the dogs had open wounds, others had wounds that were in the process of healing. The officers found other animals in similar condition, including young raccoons and turtles.”
Then the kicker: They discovered the massive alligator in a small, fenced area. It too had no access to water, but bones were scattered on the ground, the Sheriff’s Office said. An Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission nuisance alligator wrangler was called and safely removed the gator from the property.
Marquis Lamont Williams, 49, was initially charged on May 20 with possession of a firearm by a felon, resisting police and multiple drug counts. On June 7 nine counts of cruelty to animals, three promoting fighting/baiting of animals and one illegal possession of an alligator were added, jail and court records show. He remained in jail on June 9 in lieu of $230,000 bail.
Court records show he’s been assigned to a public defender. The Public Defender’s Office has previously advised it does not comment on pending cases.
(This story has been updated to include a photo gallery.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 9-foot alligator feasted at drug and dog-fighting scene in Jacksonville
Reporting by Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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