Two dead alligators found when cops search property for stolen goods, GA police say

A search for stolen goods took a strange turn in eastern Georgia when detectives realized their suspect was in possession of two dead alligators , according to state investigators.

The discovery was made Aug. 29, as Richmond Hill police were “executing a search warrant for items related to a theft,” the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said in a Sept. 9 news release. Richmond Hill is about a 250-mile drive southeast from Atlanta.

Investigators haven’t said what the suspect intended to do with the alligators, which were in the 3- to 4-foot range, a photo shows.

“One alligator had a hook in its mouth and one had a bolt from a crossbow through its head,” the DNR Law Enforcement Division reported.

“Both alligators were under the size limit and the individual possessing them did not have a tag to legally harvest an alligator.”

Richmond Hill police alerted state game wardens, who charged the suspect with possessing illegally taken alligators, officials said. Penalties include a fine in excess of $500 and up to a year in jail, Justia US Law reports.

Investigators suspect the two alligators were killed around the town of Richmond Hill in Bryan County. Alligators are native to waterways in the region and can grow as long as 16 feet , the state says.

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