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Drunk Mich. Men Steal Stuffed Alligator, Take It for Joyride

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on July 12, 2011 | Last updated on February 06, 2023

Three men from Linden, Michigan were arrested late last month after they were caught with a stolen alligator tied to the top of a Ford pick-up truck. Though alcohol was involved, it's unclear why they broke into a local barn and captured the 14-foot flattened and stuffed creature. However, it appears as though they wished to return him to his original habitat, as the trio was later found introducing the stolen alligator to the concept of off-roading. On June 25, a local man returned home only to find tire tracks outside his barn, reports the Detroit Free Press. After realizing that his prized alligator had been stolen, he followed the tracks to a nearby field. There, he found the stolen alligator affixed to a truck, presumably enjoying a "mud bogging" party.

(Source: AP/Livingston County Sheriff's Department)

Police arrested Roy Allen Griffith, 60, Douglas Earl Ward, 55, and John Earl Sanborn, 53, the latter two of which the Free Press reports tested for alcohol at a level five times higher than the legal driving limit. The alligator was not drunk. The three men have been charged with breaking and entering, and at least two remain in jail while awaiting trial. Not because they post any danger to other flattened and stuffed reptiles, but because the judge has used exercised her pre-trial bail discretion and has determined that their extensive use of alcohol makes them threats to the human community. However, they are likely to be out soon, because while breaking and entering carries with it a punishment of up to 10 years, the plight of the stolen alligator was not particularly serious. Related Resources:  
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