Amorous alligators put Florida on alert as mating begins
The Guardian, MIAMI
With toilet-invading iguanas, deadly hybrid super-serpents and toxic giant toads, no corner of Florida is ever completely safe from the threat of a marauding reptile.
Now, with the imminent start of the rainy season, another menace is emerging from the swamps: amorous alligators heading into urban areas in an annual quest for love.
The mating season appears to be off to a lively start. Last week, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was called to handle a 3m alligator hiding under a parked car in Tampa.
That followed a Pinellas County man’s discovery of a 2.15m reptile lurking in his back yard before taking a dip in the family pool, and a joint effort by the Venice Police Department and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office to remove a large gator from a housing complex.
Updated: 11:07 AM EDT April 8, 2021
VENICE, Fla. An alligator is not something you want to cross paths with, especially if it s found hanging out near your neighborhood pool.
But, this is Florida and that s exactly where the Venice Police Department said they spotted and removed the massive reptile from.
According to a Facebook post, the alligator was found Wednesday in the pool area of the Capri Isle neighborhood. As a reminder, warm spring weather means alligators are more active and more visible, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says, the police department wrote.
The Sunshine State is at the beginning of alligator mating season which the FWC reports spans from April to June.
Mt. Vernon man faces Alton home invasion charges
Scott Cousins, scousins@thetelegraph.com
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EDWARDSVILLE A Mt. Vernon man faces multiple charges for home invasion in Alton in separate locations on two dates last year, according to charges that were unsealed Monday.
Ronnie D. Jackson, 25, of Mt. Vernon, was charged Jan. 27 with three counts of home invasion, all Class X felonies.
The case was presented by the Alton Police Department.
According to court documents, on Oct. 1 Jackson entered a home in the 2700 block of Powhatton Street and struck a woman in the head with a firearm.
On Nov. 3, court documents show Jackson entered a home in the 3200 block of Oakwood and threatened two residents with a firearm. He allegedly also entered a home in the 900 block of Tremont Street and struck a resident in the head with a firearm.
Updated: 10:05 AM EST January 28, 2021
VENICE, Fla. Police say investigators didn t find any signs or evidence of foul play in the death of a missing Venice woman.
Tracey Rieker was reported missing Sept. 30 after officers say her husband woke up and saw she and her SUV were gone. She hadn t taken her purse of cell phone with her, according to the department.
Rieker was ultimately found dead on Oct. 10 when she was found inside her SUV submerged in a lake near her home, according to police.
Investigators say they didn t find evidence of criminal activity or malfunction that resulted in the SUV entering the lake.