COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Collier County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man who had a live baby alligator in a plastic tub and two firearms in his truck, during what they believed to a routine traffic stop.
Deputies said they pulled over Michael Marolla, 31, on Friday after recognizing him on the road from previous encounters.
Deputies believed he may have been driving with a suspended license, but when they pulled him over, they found the baby gator along with a firearm in the glove box and another firearm under the front seat.
Marolla also faces charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of narcotic equipment after deputies said they found multiple loaded syringes in his jacket.
Deputies notified the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about the alligator. Wildlife officers responded to investigate.