Strict laws shown when Vero Beach man arrested after gopher tortoise found in vehicle

VERO BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A Treasure Coast man finds trouble with one shelled hitchhiker.

A Vero Beach man is facing criminal counts after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said he attempted to take a gopher tortoise from a protected habitat earlier this summer — a violation of state wildlife law that landed him behind bars.

On July 31, Adrian Devone Evans Jr., 28, was arrested at a residence on 28th Court after an active warrant was served by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. The arrest stems from an incident on July 4 at Old Dixie Highway and 63rd Street, where Evans was found with a gopher tortoise in his vehicle. The citation was originally issued by FWC officers, highlighting the seriousness of disturbing this threatened species…

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