HERALD TRIBUNE (Sarasota, Florida) 06 October 06 Alligator gives family a scare - Father defends his home, family from gator in backyard (Latisha R. Gray)
Sarasota County: Angel Elicerio had only seen alligators on TV before moving to Florida six months ago. This week, he had a live encounter with one in his backyard -- a few feet from his 6-year-old son.
Elicerio, 25, said all he could think about Tuesday afternoon was protecting his son.
The boy went to the backyard shortly before 4 p.m. to see why the family's two caged dogs were barking.
Elicerio said he heard his wife scream for him, and when he went outside he saw an 8-foot gator about three feet from the boy and his dogs.
The couple grabbed their son, and Elicerio went back into the house and got his shotgun. Elicerio shot at the gator three times -- twice while it remained on land and once as it was going back in the pond behind the family's Linda Street home.
"I hit it once in the head," Elicerio said. "I'm not sure if it's dead, but we haven't seen it since then, and the dogs don't bark any more."
Neighbors heard the shots and called 911.
Sheriff's deputies responded and officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission set traps in the pond.
No one was injured, but Elicerio said the encounter was too close for comfort.
"I'm from Texas and you don't see gators there," Elicerio said. "You see other things like cows, but you don't see gators."
According to the Fish and Wildlife Web site, gators less than 4 feet in length generally don't pose a threat to people, unless someone tries to mess with them.
Those types of gators are mostly afraid of people and aren't capable of eating anything larger than a small turtle.
People are strongly advised to stay away from gators bigger than 4 feet and to call the authorities.
State law prohibits people from killing, harassing or possessing a gator. Since the gator in his backyard posed a threat, Elicerio was not charged with a crime.
"My little boy was crying for hours," Elicerio said. "He was freaking out, but everyone is OK. We just don't let him go out there any more."
Father defends his home, family from gator in backyard