Brevard County deputies say that a burglary suspect was killed by an 11-foot alligator in Barefoot Bay lake in Florida while hiding from authorities. Investigators say that Matthew Riggins, 22, had been in the area on Nov. 13 to commit burglaries with another suspect who is now in custody, reported USA Today.
Riggins went into hiding after police arrived in the area, in response to reports of two men dressed in black walking behind area houses. He was reported missing by his girlfriend to the Palm Bay Police Department the following day, who later revealed what her boyfriend was up to the night before he disappeared.
Responding police reported hearing someone yelling, but were unable to determine the source of the cries that night. It wasn't until ten days later that officers found a mangled corpse in the lake and realized that the source of the cries was Riggins.
While the sheriff's dive team members were recovering the body, they encountered an 11-foot alligator "aggressively approaching" them, according to CBS' Ohio affiliate WBNS-10TV.
"When the body was found, it had injuries that were consistent with an alligator attack," BCSO Maj. Todd Goodyear said. "We had trappers euthanize the gator and when we opened it up, there were some remains inside that were consistent with injuries found on the body."
An autopsy determined that Riggins died from drowning after the massive reptile dragged him underwater, according to CBS' Florida affiliate WPEC-TV.
Goodyear noted that the burglaries reported by those returning home for the winter are being investigated in connection with Riggs and his unnamed accomplice.
