Miami man arrested after decapitating shark in Florida Keys

KEY WEST, Fla. – A fisherman was arrested Wednesday after he gutted and decapitated a shark that he caught in the Florida Keys, Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Becky Herrin said.

WPLG reports deputy Donald Stullken was on patrol Wednesday morning when he saw Angel Velazquez fishing on the bridge between Ramrod Key and Middle Torch Key. When he checked Velazquez's cooler, he found a bonnethead shark that had been gutted and decapitated, Herrin said.

Removing the head of a shark is a second-degree misdemeanor in Florida.

Velazquez, 39, of Miami, was arrested and booked into the county jail.

Herrin said the arrest serves as a reminder to others to make sure that they know the rules before fishing in the Keys.