In Illinois Alexis T. Prokopchuk, 29, is facing a rather novel criminal charge after security cameras captured her releasing a baby alligator named Allie at O’Hare International Airport in November. If she thought this was an urban alligator simply being released into the wild, she was wrong. She is now charged with animal cruelty and reckless conduct. Notably, both are misdemeanors, which may surprise some that releasing an alligator into an public area is not a felony.
The 25-inch gator Allie was spotted underneath an escalator in the lower level of Terminal 3. An O’Hare custodian grabbed the gator which was found in terrible condition from a poor diet.
Police then went to the security cameras and, sure enough, spotted a woman on the CTA Blue line holding a gator and entering Terminal 3. She then let it loose. She told officers that she and her boyfriend rescued the gator when a friend was going to flush it down a toilet. However, the police reported that Prokopchuk “was (high) on crack cocaine and heroin and had taken some pills” before losing the gator at the airport.
Source: Chicago Tribune
They should release gators near the GW Law Professors offices and maybe one will eat Professor Turley. 🙂
This could have been a sequel to Snakes on a Plane.
People in O’Hare probably would not give a gator much notice. In Florida we would take it with a grain of salt. Oh, yeah, a gator. Now if he pulls up to the bar and orders a drink we have to draw the line. No GatorAid and Gin.
I just had an idea for a reality show. Midgets wrestling baby alligators.
I agree that the misdemeanor charge seems quite insufficient in light of what this woman did. Stupid is as stupid does.
Had she let it loose outdoors at a public area it would be different. She let it loose indoors. If the law wont let you let an alligator out to run loose in a public place like a park then a lot of people are breaking the law in Florida. And if it is against the law for an alligator to be in a public place then a lot of alligators are misdemeanits or felons whether then mean it or not. Some are not mean. We have some here at the marina in Florida and they seem to thrive in brackish water.
Gee, She doesn’t look like a crack head.
Gotta love humor…. Lol
“ … which may surprise some that releasing an alligator into an public area is not a felony …” – JT
Size matters.
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