Man Eaten By Gator While Hiding From Police

Man Eaten By Gator While Hiding From Police

The morning after reportedly committing multiple burglaries in the Barefoot Bay area of Florida last month, Matthew Riggins and another suspect were spotted by local deputies. Riggins and his accomplice, however, managed to successfully evade authorities by promptly fleeing on foot and apparently refusing to take alligators seriously. Though neither suspect was apprehended, WLS-TV is now reporting that Riggins’ remains were found in a nearby lake ten days later after what has now been confirmed as an alligator attack.

"I would say it's poetic justice," a neighbor tells a regional ABC affiliate. The two men had reportedly been spotted wearing all black and "lurking behind homes," prompting a response from authorities. Riggins called his girlfriend during the foot chase, which included a helicopter presence and K9 units, to tell her they were being pursued and were trying to "lay low."

A so-called "aggressive alligator" is believed to have attacked Riggins as he hid from police in the lake, with a forensic examination concluding that additional remains found in the gator’s stomach were consistent with Riggins’ injuries. Remarkably, this doesn't mark the first time a Florida man has attempted to evade police before being attacked by an alligator. Bryan Zuniga slipped out of police custody in Tampa back in 2013, sprinting off to hide behind a water treatment plant before, you guessed it, coming face to face with an alligator and miraculously surviving.

This video was uploaded to YouTube by Complex

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