Security cameras at Stetson University's Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center on Lake Beresford recorded a scene that deputies say landed a 14-year-old DeLand teen in custody: the juvenile swinging a baby alligator by the tail and kicking the reptile. According to the arrest report, the video shows the teen twirling the small gator over his head, then placing it on the ground and kicking dirt onto it. Volusia County deputies detained five juveniles at the scene, transported the 14-year-old to the Volusia Sheriff's Office Juvenile Resource Center, and notified the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Deputies Reviewed Campus Footage And Witness Media
Volusia County deputies responded after a Stetson University public-safety officer reported juveniles with an alligator and reviewed campus surveillance footage, according to WESH. When deputies arrived, they found five teens who, at first, denied being involved. Investigators say the person who reported the incident later shared videos and photos showing two youths holding a baby alligator. Authorities searched for the reptile but could not find it at the time, per the arrest report.
Arrest Report Details Swinging, Kicking And Trespass
The arrest report states the footage shows one teen holding the gator by its tail and swinging it back and forth, then putting it on the ground and kicking dirt on it, according to WBAL NewsRadio. Based on that evidence, deputies wrote that the juvenile actually and intentionally captured an alligator without authorization from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the 14-year-old was taken to the VSO Juvenile Resource Center. Stetson University public-safety officers requested that all five juveniles be trespassed from the aquatic center while the sheriff's office continues its review.
State Rules, Hotlines And Penalties
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advises residents not to approach or handle wild alligators and to call its Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR instead. The agency runs a statewide nuisance-alligator program that uses authorized trappers to respond to problem gators, according to the FWC. Under Florida law, taking or possessing an alligator without an alligator license is prohibited; Chapter 379 of the Florida Statutes requires a trapping license to take or possess alligators or their eggs, per Florida Statutes. Violations can lead to fines or other penalties enforced by the commission and local authorities.
At The Stetson Aquatic Center
The Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center sits on roughly 10 acres along Lake Beresford and houses Stetson University's Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, along with rowing and research facilities, according to Stetson University. Campus public-safety officers told deputies they watched the incident unfold on live surveillance and asked that the juveniles be trespassed from the facility.
What Happens Next In Juvenile Court
The 14-year-old remains in the juvenile system while the Volusia Sheriff's Office continues its investigation. Reporting from the Daytona Beach News-Journal, republished by AOL, says the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified. Authorities did not immediately say whether formal charges will be filed in juvenile court.
