TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — An Orlando Florida man was arrested earlier this month after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said he was caught dumping thousands of tires and shooting at an alligator.
According to the FWC, officers were patrolling a private property where they previously found thousands of tires dumped in Orange County. The officers said they witnessed a Florida man enter the property and shoot at an alligator from the window of his truck before throwing more tires from his vehicle.
According to an incident report obtained by WOFL, Arisleyder Reina Tornes told investigators that he was shooting at the alligator “because it was going to attack him.”
“Mr. Reina-Tornes was still in his vehicle when he was first shooting at it, and the alligator never made any threatening movements toward him, and when we approached the alligator, it never approached us,” the report said. “Mr. Reina Torres was caught in several lies, even admitting to us that he had lied, and it appeared most of what he was telling us was untruthful, so we decided to no longer continue our interview.”
The FWC said Reina Tornes was arrested for tire dumping attempting to take an alligator, operating an unregistered vehicle and driving while in possession of an open container.
