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A Florida man stole an alligator from a mini-golf course and attempted to lift the reptile off the roof of a building to “teach it a lesson,” authorities said.
William “Bubba” Hodge, 32, was arrested Thursday morning in Daytona Beach Shores, where cops saw him throwing the gator on a business roof by his tail, police said.
The cops have spotted Hodge from Fort. Myers, slamming the animal against an awning as he attempted to throw it atop the Metz Lounge, WOFL reported.
He also threw the alligator to the ground and stomped on it twice, the outlet said.
Hodge, who immediately surrendered when cops approached him, told officers he jumped a fence to an alligator enclosure at Congo River Golf in Daytona Beach and stole the beast, according to an arrest report obtained by the station.
When asked why he was throwing the alligator in the air by the tail, Hodge told cops he was “teaching him a lesson,” the arrest report said.
“The alligator was handed over to the management of Congo River Golf where Hodge claimed to have stolen it after a brief wrestling match,” the Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Security said in a statement.
A photo posted by the ministry on Facebook shows the tiny alligator on a sidewalk as officers take Hodge into custody.
The alligator, meanwhile, is expected to survive, WESH reported.
Hodge remains in custody Friday morning at the Volusia County Jail on charges of animal cruelty, alligator poaching, burglary of an unoccupied home, criminal mischief and petty theft.
His bail is set at $ 4,500, according to online records. It is not known whether he has hired a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
While being held by the Department of Public Safety in Daytona Beach Shores, Hodge also attempted to flood a holding cell by putting paper in the toilet and down a drain while threatening to flood the entire establishment, WKMG reported.
A Congo River Golf employee referred The Post to an official who did not immediately return a message seeking comment early Friday. Customers at its eight locations in Florida can feed dozens of alligators when they visit, according to its website.
“Grab a pole and go for an alligator feeding experience like no other,” the site reads. “It’s always an adventure at Congo River Golf!”
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