Owner cited for keeping pet alligator in Garfield Heights home

OHIO -- A 4-foot long alligator was rescued from a home in Garfield Heights earlier this week.

It happened Wednesday afternoon at a home located in the 8900 block of McCracken Road.

The Garfield Heights Animal Warden said a neighbor alerted police of the wildlife reptile. When crews arrived, the alligator was found in an aquarium located in the basement.

The owner of the animal received state and local citations because it is illegal to have alligators as pets in Ohio, said the animal warden.

The alligator was confiscated and then transported to the Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, near Columbus.

From there, the alligator will be taken to an alligator farm in South Carolina.

The warden said the Department of Agriculture will determine the gator’s gender, age and type.

(NewsNet5.com - Dec 6, 2013)