A man from Central Florida faces felony charges after allegedly attacking an alligator with a golf club over a fishing lure, then being implicated in the mutilation of the creature’s carcass. Hunter Crumbo, a 28-year-old from Leesburg, was arrested last Wednesday following an investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), as reported by ClickOrlando. According to officials, a dismembered alligator was found near Bay Avenue in Montverde, leading to the inquiry.
The FWC became aware of the incident after a resident contacted authorities, having been asked by Crumbo how to clean an alligator. The neighbor was reportedly considering eating the animal, which had been beaten in a violent display over a $20 fishing lure, this eventuality appearing less like dinner and more like a venting of rage for the perpetrator, according to a WESH interview with witness Kimberly Strickland. Further investigations revealed that Crumbo had been observed catching the gator from a nearby canal before beating it with a golf club.
During an interview with law enforcement at the Tavares Department of Corrections, Crumbo admitted to the attack on the reptile. Crumbo’s history with the law is not without note, having been arrested multiple times in Lake County since 2020, with a record of previous charges including violating a domestic violence injunction, criminal mischief, and driving with a revoked license due to DUI. Furthermore, an FWC report indicates that Crumbo had also been apprehended earlier in the year for excavating artifacts from an archaeological site at Ferndale Preserve…