Poncho The Alligator kills and eats robbery suspect

Story is from an Indian casino in Florida, where police were chasing a man suspected of breaking into cars. To get away, the man jumped in a pond behind the facility. That's where he met up with Poncho, a 9-foot alligator renowned for being (A) unafraid of humans and (B) vicious.

When they found the guy's body, police say, it looked like his head had been bitten several times. Poncho was taken to a gator facility, where he'll be destroyed.

"Some alligators just have a nasty disposition and he was just a nasty gator," owner of All American Gator Brian Woods said. "He seemed to have no fear of people."

Mega-Hat-Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!

File photo of a generic alligator, not Poncho.

Comments

[Searching]

Alligator- nasty disposition... NOoooo

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

I think they need to give Poncho a medal and then put him on the seedy streets of Daytona Beach to clean up the prostitute problem they have there. (They are NASTY!)

[redbeak]

Man that's bullsh*t, the gator helped take a bite outta crime and gets a death sentence.

[Spencer]

I don't even want to think of what they would do to Mcgruff.

Where's PETA!

[kcplaya]

Why put an animal down for being an animal makes no sence to me. I say go ahead poncho.

[Nick]

It's one thing to take a bite out of crime. Entirely another to take a bite out of a defense lawyers pocket. We must kill it!

[Mama2~i~k]

They shouldn't kill him, he was just protecting his territory. It's not like he was walking through the parking lot looking for dinner and grabed the guy.

[Searching]

I sure there were signs warning people... lets start a petition.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

It's florida, you don't swim in anything inland unless it's a swimming pool and you check for gators first. Common sense tells you to not tempt fate by trying to swim across a pond.

[Spencer]

R2

For someone running from the Police in a casino parking lot I believe common sense is a penny, nickel, dime or quarter.

[Newbie]

This is ridiculous. Why destroy the animal? What, once he gets a taste for murder he'll do it again?

Why not the same for people?

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Maybe they are afraid that the Gator doesn't have a soul?

[milwolf]

This gator is a hero,,, unless you are a defense lawyer or liberal judge !!!

[The_Golfer]

They probably want the body parts.

Sad, but true.

[Newbie]

So being soulless allows the judgment for death. Did God not put all animals (or living creatures if you want to be technical)on earth or was the gator made by another being?

Move the gator to the wild for goodness' sake

[PLEASE SIGN YOUR COMMENTS!]

Way to go Poncho! Sounds to me like that criminal got what he deserved. At least you led a noble life and probably saved some possible future victims of the burglar, which is more than I can say for the bastards who made the decision to kill you. As for your nasty disposition and having no fear of people? Sounds like a normal alligator to me! Why don't we just kill all dangerous animals then?

Leave the Gator alone...feed him some chicken...guys a gator that is not afraid ...tell me something I do not know .was someone going to take the gator home as a pet?

[Sasquach]

Hey,

this time it was a criminal, but what happens when next time its junior who mommy had wait outside the casino while she goes in to get her gamble and drink on.

[Wester]

If you don’t kill the gator he will become a menace. He had got a taste of burglars and from now on every time a burglar swims across his pond they could be in danger.

[broncos7]

Maybe they should just have the gator swallow a clock so that there is a tick tock, tick tock, warning anyone taking a swim. I've seen this in a movie. I know it works.

[nimrod]

Bring Poncho up here to Missouri and replace the chemical cocktail that seems to be troubling bleeding hearts and criminals set to get it with this form of punishment.

Poncho 1, criminals 0

[Amanda]

If I had a castle, I'd invite Poncho over to my moat. AWESOME critter, sad that people are so stupid.

[ThatOneGuy]

Poncho, mad props.

I personally think they should release u into the wild. Its the guys own damn fault for jumpin in. Its JUST like the human law, if someone breaks into your house, you have a right to defend your territory at all costs. Gator was just defending its home.

RIP Poncho.
Fuck the people putting you down.

[chiefgolong]

I DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN, A THIEF GOT HIS JUST REWARD, IF HE EARNED A LIVING LIKE BILLIONS OF HONEST PEOPLE ON THE PLANET EARTH, HE WOULD HAVE CHEATED PUNCHO OUT OF A MEAL.

NUFF SAID

[susaunn]

PONCHO, I WILL SAY A LITTTLE PRAYER THAT YOU RECEIVE A REPRIEVE....YOU ARE MORE THAN DESERVING. I BELIEVE WE SHOULD START A PETITION TO SAVE YOU PONCHO, AND THEN FEED YOU WITH CRIMMINALS. GOSH, PONCHO YOU ARE THE HERO!!! THE JUSTICE SYSTEMS ONCE AGAIN SUPPORTS "THE SLIME" OF THIS EARTH, AND THROWS THE BOOK AT THE GOOD GUYS.

[no one]

ummm, tastes like chicken

[Herbert Spencer was a genius]

Save the gator, find a liberal judge and see if he'll eat him too.

[Thomas Kirby]

Save Poncho! Good alligator!

[Gary]

I think "The Golfer" has the right idea! I can see it now; Come on down to Claire McCaskill's New & Used body parts. Todays specials include.......and remember folks - if the gator don't get you, then Claire will!

[Crater]

Uh, story doesn't say gator ate the guy ... just that he chewed on his head. If I remember my Animal Planet documentary correctly, gators don't like to eat their prey fresh, but they drown it and stash the carcass underwater until it's "falling-off-the-bone" tender. Good eatin'

[PTT]

I want ONE!

[Herbert Spencer was a genius]

Save Pancho, give him some more food.

[fester]

i have stopped there to gamble on the way to key west. the local indian police are always around, good security. this guy was a moron, trying to steal from the casino. next time, i'll check out the gator pond!

[Courtney Beaumont]

why is Pancho being destroyed? For being an Alligator? This is ridiculous.

[fyi]

Poncho shouldn't have been destroyed.

I think they should just re-locate him to the Rio Grande / Río Bravo del Norte.

[BIGUNS]

Give the alligator an award!!! Put him in Philly!!!

[Rich Machholz]

Save Poncho, build a fence, put up a plaque and tell his story, let him draw the tourists. He actually did a good thing, besides ridding the community of a thief he gave the thiefs family some dignity ... now they can say their relative was killed by a vicious gator.

[KAt]

we should just throw all murderers and theives into gator ponds. go poncho, that guy got what he deserved especially if he's that stupid to jump in a pond like that. F the system! all the greedy slimeballs get to the top while all the good people get stepped on in this country. if animals are put down for biting or killing people then people should be treated the same way.