A North Carolina sheriff’s office helped wrangle a nearly 400-pound alligator, and couldn’t resist joking that the colossal reptile was “cited for suspicion of being a dinosaur without proper papers.”
Prehistoric ‘perp’ caught loitering on roadside
The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office said deputies teamed up with North Carolina Wildlife Resources officers to capture the “prehistoric perp” after it was spotted “loitering near the double yellow line on Old 30 Road.”
Dubbed “Pepe“ by authorities, the alligator weighed an estimated 350 to 400 pounds and stretched nearly 10 feet long.
Tongue-in-cheek charges filed
In a humorous social media post, the sheriff’s office listed the gator’s supposed offenses:
- Suspicion of Being a Dinosaur Without Proper Papers
- Public Loitering with Intent to Sunbathe
- Obstructing Traffic
Thankfully, officials confirmed the alligator was “safely relocated“ without harm to humans or the reptile itself.