Burglary Suspect Hiding From Cops Killed By Gator
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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A burglary suspect hiding from police was killed by an 11-foot alligator.
Matthew Riggins, 22, and another man had gone to the Barefoot Bay community in Brevard County the night of November 12th to burglarize homes, according to the county's sheriff's office.
Around 2 a.m., a resident called 911 to report two men dressed all in black walking near his home. Sheriff's deputies spotted Riggins and the other man briefly before they disappeared into the darkness, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The sheriff's office dispatched a helicopter and K-9 to assist in the search, but both came up empty.
During search, Riggins reportedly called his girlfriend to say he was being chased by sheriff's deputies. When he didn't come home, he was reported missing.
His body was found ten days later in the lake in the community. He was missing his lower extremities and part of an arm. When sheriff dive team members went to recover it, they were "aggressively approached" by a large gator.
The gator was trapped by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and euthanized. A forensic exam of the gator found remains consistent with Riggins' injuries inside its stomach.
The sheriff's department said Riggins drowned as a result of the gator attack.
The other man who was reportedly with Riggins that night has refused to cooperate in the investigation.
