PALM BAY, Fla. – A decapitated alligator found in a Palm Bay street Monday night is under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.
Photos of the alligator showed its head and tail had been removed and its body left in the middle of Pace Drive.
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Brianna Balogh was heading to WalMart about 11 p.m. Monday when she noticed something in the middle of the street. Other drivers kept their lights fixed on the animal's body to keep motorists from striking it while waiting for police and wildlife officers.
"All we see is this big thing in the road. This girl had her lights pointed at it so people wouldn't run it over. We didn't really recognize what it was until we drove a little more and saw the tail," Balogh said.
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"His head and his tail were chopped off," Balogh added. "It really grosses me out that people would do something like that. They're just animals. They're not aggressive. If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone."
In April, authorities also found a decapitated gator in Rockledge. No arrests have been made in connection with that crime.
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Unauthorized alligator hunting is a third-degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.