Authorities say a Florida man who was suspected of burglary may have been hiding from police in a nearby lake when he was found by something far worse — a huge alligator.
Brevard County Sheriff’s Maj. Tod Goodyear says 22-year-old Matthew Riggins told his girlfriend he would be in Barefoot Bay to commit burglaries with another suspect. Authorities received calls Nov. 13 about two suspicious men in black walking behind homes and investigated. Riggins was reported missing the next day.
According to reports, while possibly hiding from officers that were called to investigate the reports of these two suspicious men in the Florida community targeted by a string of burglaries, Riggins was killed by an 11-foot alligator.
Goodyear said sheriff’s divers recovered Riggins’ body 10 days later in a nearby lake and the injuries were consistent with an alligator attack. Authorities said Riggins had drowned and the alligator, which behaved aggressively toward divers, was trapped and euthanized.
Florida Today reports a second person has been taken into custody. Bad form.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Hard to believe that this is anything but God’s justice operating.
All’s well, ends well.
IF there were Jobs To be had.. Would There be So much Robberies and Murders..Breakins… Happening ,,as there is Now ? When Folks Simply Give up..And Feels The System Here is Failing them.. They Turn to Crime. Bring back The JOBS..And Lets` put an end to all this robbing . (( Just Asking ))
Yeah…I don’t think this guy was interested in finding a job. It’s all part of the entitlement mentality.
Most of these scumbags have ignored the free education they were provided through high school. With or without unskilled labor jobs these scumbags lie, cheat, and steal their way through life. Minimum wage is supposed to be for 16 year olds so they see that with no skills this is the best job available. Instead of developing skill sets they demand $15/hr. Give me a break! There are jobs now but they are not for those who have not bothered to develop any skill sets. Learning proper English is step one.
I agree. People who don’t have jobs still need money. Here in Baltimore there’s a big heroin problem, and it all stems from a very simple equation:
If you’re in high school, you have two options when you’re in a poor family…
1) Finish high school, maybe get a job and work hard to go to college in your 30s and get a degree so you can make more money and support your family. It’s not easy, and you’re going to suffer along the way.
2) Drop out of high school and sell heroin. You make a lot of money immediately, and it’s regular. There’s plenty of risk involved, but you’re able to support your family when they need it.
Ain’t an easy decision to make. It’s all about survival.
They should have given the gator a metal instead of the death penalty!!
Agree , but he might develop a taste for humans
Or a medal.
This story had the happy ending I was hoping for. The gator saved taxpayers the cost of a jury trial and incarceration of this criminal. The gator should not have been killed.