DELAND, Fla. – A 14-year-old boy is facing a felony charge after Volusia County deputies say he was seen swinging a baby alligator by its tail and kicking it at a Stetson University facility.
According to a report from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, a deputy responded to the Stetson Aquatic Center on April 3 after a university public safety officer reported the incident. The security officer said she witnessed the incident through one of the school’s security cameras near the docks.
“We arrested a 14-year-old for twirling a baby alligator around,” said Sheriff Mike Chitwood. “Obviously, abusing wildlife is not a way to spend your downtime, you know, it’s a felony. You just do not abuse wildlife. Unfortunately, this young man is going to learn a very expensive lesson.”
The security officer told deputies she saw the boy holding the baby alligator by its tail and swinging it back and forth. The report also states that while watching the incident live, she saw the boy kicking at the alligator and holding the animal while another child took photographs. At one point, the teen was reportedly seen placing the alligator on the ground and kicking dirt on it.
The responding deputy spoke with five children at the aquatic center, who claimed they were fishing. The report states they denied knowing anything about an alligator after the deputy told them the sheriff’s office had received a report about kids messing with one.
Stetson’s security requested all five children be trespassed from the aquatic center. The facility, located near Lake Beresford, houses the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience and is used by the university’s rowing teams.