A South Florida man is accused of pouring beer into an alligator's mouth after enticing the reptile to bite his arm after his friend caught it, authorities said.
Timothy Jean Kepke, 27, of Hobe Sound, was charged with unlawfully taking an alligator, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office. Another man, Noah Osborne, 22, of Stuart, was charged with the same crime.
Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they received a complaint in August about the two men, TCPalm reported. A video filmed at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 26 in Palm City showed Kepke holding the alligator and tempting it to bite his right forearm, the website reported. After being bitten, Kepke allegedly poured beer into the alligator's mouth, causing the reptile to act aggressively, according to an FWC report.
The pair then released the alligator, officials said.
Authorities went to Kepke's home Sept. 17, where he told officers he was the man in the video, TCPalm reported.
Deputies issued arrest warrants for Kepke and Osborne and arrested both men Thursday, the website reported. They were released later in the day after posting bail.
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