Massive 400-pound alligator captured by North Carolina cops and hit with hilarious charges
North Carolina police 'arrested' a gigantic alligator and hit him with hilarious charges for crossing the road.
Onslow County Sheriff's deputies along with officers from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission captured the massive beast on May 28 on Old 30 Road.
'[Officials] wrangled this prehistoric perp off the pavement today after he was caught loitering near the double yellow line,' the sheriff's office said.
Deputies decided to have some fun announcing their impressive catch and released a statement playfully claiming the gator had 'scaly intentions' and was charged with a crime.
'Witnesses say he was just chilling and snapping, clearly ignoring the "no loitering or lounging on roadways" sign,' said the sheriff's office.
The reptile was named 'Pepe the Gator' and measured up at 400 pounds and almost 10 feet-long.
The sheriff's office jokingly said, '[Pepe] has been cited for Suspicion of Being a Dinosaur Without Proper Papers, Public Loitering with Intent to Sunbathe, and Obstructing Traffic.'
'Deputies reported no injuries, unless you count his pride when the gator refused to be cuffed.
'We're told the gator has been safely relocated — and no, he didn't get to ride shotgun.'
The cops also posed for some hilarious photos with Pepe, including one image of a deputy standing behind the beast with his thumb.
Another photo showed three deputies sitting on the gator while they restrained him after they covered his with a towel and taped his mouth shut.
Community members loved the cheeky post, commenting that they loved seeing the deputies have fun, but thought Pepe's charges were unfair.
'I'm so weak the one on the glasses is having the time of his life,' one person said. 'Y'all are brave riding the bronco-gator,' said another.
'#FreePepe my homie did nothing wrong,' a third person said. 'Had he just called Uber instead of trying to walk, he wouldn't be in this mess,' added a fourth.
A representative from the Onslow County Sheriff's office told PEOPLE that Pepe was was transported safely to Camp Geiger, a Marine Corps base in Jacksonville.
The sheriff's office believed that Pepe had traveled at least three miles from the nearest body of water and needed some help getting to safety in case he hurt himself or injured anyone.
According to NC Wildlife, male alligators in the Tar Heel state can reach up to 13 feet and weight up to 500 pounds or more.
They are common in freshwater areas and the largest populations live in the coastal counties of Brunswick, New Hanover, Craven, Columbus, Onslow and Pender.
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The Sun
35 minutes ago
- The Sun
Diddy would be released in DAYS after Trump pardon but a ‘free ride' out of jail will not help his future, lawyer warns
SEAN 'Diddy' Combs would be a free man within days if Donald Trump decides to pardon him but it would not bode well for his future, a lawyer has warned. Trump surprised reporters by commenting on Diddy's court case during a news conference with Elon Musk last week and revealed he would consider whether the rapper's been "mistreated." 5 5 Combs has been pictured with the President at several events over the years but they had not been in contact leading up to his arrest for alleged sex trafficking and racketeering. Asked if he would consider pardoning him, Trump said, "Nobody's asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking." He said he felt the former music mogul used to like him "a lot" but wasn't his biggest fan after he went into politics. Despite this, Trump said, "I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me." The U.S. Sun spoke to Los Angeles-based trial attorney Tre Lovell for his opinion on a possible pardon and how that would play out. He said, "The pardoning power is one of the ultimate powers of the President. It's virtually unchecked, and he can do it. 'He doesn't even have to wait for the conviction. He can do it at any time after somebody's charged, even after the crime occurs. "So the second that President Trump determines that he's gonna pardon him [Diddy]. It happens immediately. QUICK RELEASE "They basically sign the pardon, it would be sent to Diddy, and assuming he accepted, which obviously he would, then that's that." Lovell said if he had already been convicted there would be an administrative process through the Federal Bureau of Prisons to arrange his release and transportation but it wouldn't be long before he was out. Diddy 'gave hotel guard $100k in paper bag to bury Cassie beating video' "There may be a few hours, maybe one or two days sometimes that they can take time just because of the bureaucracy," he said. Combs, 55, is currently on trial in New York after pleading not guilty to five counts of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He is facing up to life in prison if convicted. The jury has heard from several witnesses in the case so far, including Combs' ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, after a damning video emerged of him beating her during their relationship. Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun: The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of. Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you're allowed to enter the courthouse's main hallway. As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free. Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors. The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors. As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery. I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun. He said it wouldn't make sense for Trump to pardon him halfway into the prosecution's case when the jury hasn't yet heard all of the facts, adding that it would be "premature" to act now. "I was very surprised that Trump is considering pardoning Diddy, especially in light of the fact the trial is ongoing now,' he said. "We are hearing witness after witness after witness testify to some horrible things. 'It would be a slap in the face to the witnesses, to the victims, to a lot of people to just pardon him, you know. "It would seem that he would want to wait until the trial is over, and if there's not a conviction then there's no need for him to get involved.' He went on to say, "There's one thing that Americans stand for … it's accountability, and if he were pardoned in light of what's been happening, these allegations and this testimony, there would be a sense of loss and lack of accountability. "And so I don't know how that would sit with most Americans with respect to President Trump." But Lovell said he doesn't think anybody would be surprised if Trump pardoned Diddy. "He's pardoned a lot of people that people take umbrage [with]. And he's not worried about a re-election, so I don't really think it would affect him. "He may have some more detractors, but I don't think he really cares, and his conduct thus far shows he's going to do what he wants to do." Lovell feels if Diddy is acquitted it would be a sense of victory and it would be easier to acclimate to society because he will have been vindicated in court. However, if he's convicted and pardoned by Trump it would have more of a negative impact on him. "It'll be a little tougher because people will think he got a free ride and beat the system," he said. But regardless, Lovell feels "Diddy's reputation has been irreparably harmed" and he will never be the billionaire music mogul he was once admired by millions. It comes after... Cassie Ventura gave birth after she gave four days of grueling testimony about her relationship with Sean Combs during his federal sex trafficking trial Ventura testified Combs forced her to participate in "freak-offs" where he watched her have sex with male escorts Celebrities like Prince, Mike Myers, and Bill Gates have been mentioned throughout the trial Kid Cudi testified about how his Porsche was blown up after Combs flew into a jealous rage when he dated Cassie Trump has pardoned several high-profile inmates in recent months, including reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley three years after they were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion. Combs' federal trial has been ongoing for more than three weeks and there are more witnesses set to testify. More and more damning accusations have emerged about the alleged violence he inflicted behind closed doors. The trial opened up with powerful testimony from Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend of over a decade. The singer, 38, alleged Combs forced her to participate in weekly drug-fueled sex marathons, which he called "freak-offs," with male escorts. Ventura, who said she did not want to engage in the sex acts, told the court her music career took a backseat due to the toll the orgies took on her day, testifying how she needed days at a time to recover. Prosecutors also released photos of the injuries Ventura allegedly suffered from Combs' years-long abuse, including a gash on her forehead that had become a permanent scar. Combs has remained mostly stone-faced in court as his lawyers insist he is innocent. The prosecution's case is slated to rest the week of June 9. If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673). Diddy's charges explained by a lawyer Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained the set of charges Diddy is facing to The U.S. Sun: "Diddy is facing three charges, or three sets of charges. "The first is racketeering, which you typically see with organized crime enterprises - so the mob, cartels, street gangs -but we're seeing it a lot more in sex trafficking cases. "And you don't need an organization like the mob, as long as it's an enterprise, which is something that consists of two or more people, and they engage in two or more RICO predicate acts, that's enough for racketeering. "Racketeering is a powerful charge because it allows the government to bring in all sorts of evidence of criminal activity, as well as all sorts of people, into that racketeering conspiracy. "And anyone who's a co-conspirator, they're on the hook for any criminal acts committed in furtherance of the conspiracy. "The most serious charge, though, is sex trafficking. "What separates sex trafficking from normal sex? Adults, of course, can consent to any type of sex, no matter how freaky it is. But sex trafficking has one of three elements: force, fraud, or coercion. "And the government is saying that Diddy used force to force these men and women to participate in these freak-offs, and he coerced them by drugging them. "The least serious charge is the prostitution, sometimes called the Man Act, and that's engaging in prostitution using some sort of interstate commerce across state lines. That obviously is unlawful. "Typically, you don't see federal cases for prostitution only, which is why it's the least serious of the crimes." 5 5
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
I defended female serial killer Aileen Wuornos who slaughtered six – chilling encounter PROVED why she was so dangerous
STARING into the eyes of a serial killer is not for the faint-hearted - but for one lawyer that was his daily reality. Christopher Quarles, 71, defended 48 people on Death Row - including notorious female serial killer Aileen Wuornos. 5 The mum-of-one, killed by lethal injection in 2002, brutally murdered six men after claiming she was raped while working as a prostitute. Her callous murder spree - between 1989 and 1990 - was the subject of the Oscar-winning 2003 film Monster. Wuornos was the only female client who Quarles, a public defence lawyer in Florida from 1980 to 2015, represented who was sentenced to death. Her famous final words were: 'I'd just like to say, I'm sailing with the rock and I'll be back like Independence Day, with Jesus, June 6th. 'Like the movie, big mothership and all. I'll be back.' Quarles recalled how he was regularly threatened by volatile Wuronos, whose mood would flip at the drop of a hat. "Aileen was a very sick girl," he told The Sun. "It was during the pendency of my representation, I would go see her on Death Row, and half the time she would thank me for doing what I was doing. 'The other half, she would accuse me of taking money under the table from the state and storm out of the interview. 'I think her diagnosis was borderline personality disorder. She perceived danger in her encounters with strange men applying her trade as a prostitute. 'Angel of Mercy' serial killer butchered OAPs weeks after release for another murder & modelled himself on Raoul Moat 'She perceived danger where maybe there was no danger, but it's a dangerous occupation, and I'm sure she got beat up and threatened on many occasions. 'You could tell she was having mental issues.' Quarles - a staunch critic of capital punishment - met Wuornos for the first time after she had already been sentenced to death. The dangerous killer was arrested in 1991 and went to trial the following year, when she was convicted and handed the death penalty. Quarles said: "Most of the time we'd just talk about the issues of the case and what I thought was going to win, and what wasn't going to win. "We didn't really get to know each other that way, we were talking law in her case. Aileen Wournos' killing spree IN November 1989, Wuornos shot dead convicted rapist Richard Mallory, 51, in what she claimed was an act of self defense. His body was found in woods several miles away from his abandoned car. Construction worker David Spears, 43, was Wuornos' next victim. He was shot six times and his naked body was found by a Florida roadside on 1 June 1990. Peter Siems, 65, was next on Wornos' hit list. The retired merchant seaman and devoted Christian was last seen alive in June 1990 when he left Florida for Arkansas. His car was discovered weeks later in Orange Springs, Florida, but his body was never discovered. Troy Burress, 50, was a sausage salesman whose body was found with two fatal bullet wounds by the road in August 1990. The most high-profile victim, 56-year-old Charles "Dick" Humphreys, was a former Chief of Police and retired US Air Force Major and child abuse investigator. His body was found in September 1990 with having been shot six times. Finally, Walter Jeno Antonio, 62, was a trucker whose half-naked body was found on a remote path in November 1990. Wuornos was arrested on an outstanding warrant in January 1991, and her girlfriend,d Tyria Moore, agreed with police to help get a confession to the murders, which she did on 16 January. She claimed all the men had tried to rape her and she was acting in self defense — but she was found guilty and executed on 9 October 2002. "She seemed mentally ill. Half the time she would thank me and half the time she would accuse me of working for the state. "There were elements of bipolar and borderline personality disorder, which was her diagnosis. "Half the time she loved me because she thought I was representing her, and half the time she hated me because she thought I was throwing her under the bus." Death row killers As well as Wuornos, Quarles also defended Emilia Carr - at one point the youngest woman on Death Row in the US. And in 2004, he watched the execution of Johnny Robinson, convicted of the murder of Beverly St George 19 years earlier. Despite the sick crimes of his clients, he insists it hurts to see them die. "Some I was closer to than others," he added. 'Some I have developed relationships with and those hurt. Those hurt a lot. Some make me sad, I think it's not right. We shouldn't kill our citizens.' Carr was originally sentenced to death in 2010 for her role in the murder of Heather Strong, but was later resentenced to life in prison. She was just 26 years old at the time and would have faced death by lethal injection. Carr gave birth to her fourth child behind bars. They have all been placed into foster care since then. Quarles said she actually 'blossomed' while she was on Death Row. He added: 'Emilia really blossomed in prison, especially on Death Row, because she's pretty much left to her own devices. 'She started reading a lot, she was corresponding with people in Europe and she was learning a language. 'As she was mostly pregnant her whole adult life, with four kids by the age of 26, she never really had a chance to blossom. And that's what being locked up gave her. 'Her children were all dispersed into the foster care systems in the state of Florida, lost in the system forever.' He added: 'She was telling me more about how she was really enjoying life for change and who her most recent correspondent might be. 'That's what she would talk about, not death. Pen Pal programs that they have access to a lot of Europe. 'I'm against anybody being executed. It's not something that civilised societies do, but in addition to that, she was way less culpable than her co-defendant who basically got a life sentence on the first go around because he had better lawyers than she did at the trial.' Chilling final words Quarles only watched one execution after his client Robinson personally asked him to attend. Robinson was killed by lethal injection in 2004 over the murder of Beverly St George. He was on parole for a rape conviction in August 1985 when he came across St George's car in Florida after it broke down. She was abducted at gunpoint by Robinson and an accomplice and taken to a nearby cemetery, where she was raped by bother men and shot in the head. Robinson was arrested five days after for robbing four people in a disabled car and raping one of them. He requested Quarles watch him be executed - and the lawyer will never forget his final words. Quarles said: 'We were in a witness room and we didn't know what was happening. 'They escort you in and you sit there in chairs facing this panel of glass with a ratty curtain closed. "They had a tiny little speaker up in the corner of the room which provided sound between the execution chamber and where the witnesses were seated. 'And we sat there for a long time, we didn't know what was happening. We found out later that the US Supreme Court was considering whether to grant a stay or not. 'Eventually they opened the curtains and it was just surreal. "They read the death warrant and asked Johnny if he had any last words. He had told me he wasn't going to look at the witnesses. He was just going to stare at the ceiling. 'When they asked if he had any last words, he said, 'Later', and I smiled." Quarles told how Robinson's "chest heaved" as it took him up to ten minutes to die. 'The atmosphere was just surreal. I can't believe we're here doing this," he said. "We had got to know each other better, especially since I got him a new trial and I represented him during that retrial. 'So I got to see him a lot more in the days leading up to his execution.' Quarles, now retired, insisted he never felt conflicted when representing people who had committed heinous crimes. He added: 'I'm philosophically opposed to the death penalty, so I don't have a problem no matter how heinous the crime. 'There are so many reasons it's wrong. Economicall,y it makes no sense and there's evidence that this does not serve as a deterrent at all. 'There is no deterrence and it's very expensive. We get it wrong a lot. I guarantee this country has executed at least one, two or three innocent people over the years.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Watch: Family of raccoons rescued from wood-burning stove
Body cam shows the adorable moment police in Golden, Colorado, rescued a family of raccoons from a wood-burning stove. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office posted the video to Facebook. On May 19, Animal Control officers responded to a call that a raccoon and her kits had moved into a homeowner's stove. The mother reportedly fled up the chimney when officers arrived. In the video, the babies are carefully scooped up and brought to a bush outside of the home, where they can be reunited with their mother. The kits were reported to be healthy and safe.
