Julius Whigham II
The News-Journal
PALM CITY, Fla. — A video showing beer being poured into an alligator’s mouth resulted in criminal charges last week for two Martin County men.
Timothy Jean Kepke, 27, of Hobe Sound and Noah Osborne, 22, of Stuart each are accused of unlawfully taking an alligator, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
Kepke and Osborne surrendered to authorities Oct. 3, with Kepke later being released on a $5,000 bond and Osborne on a $2,500 bond. Both declined comment Wednesday night.
Their arrests came after a complaint was submitted to FWC in August.
A video posted on Snapchat purportedly showed Kepke holding and harassing a small alligator. According to an FWC arrest report, Kepke held the alligator in his left hand and enticed the animal to bite his right forearm.
Once the alligator released its bite, Kepke poured beer into its mouth, causing the animal to “aggressively react,” the report said.
Investigators went to Kepke’s home last month and showed him a copy of the video. Kepke initially told investigators he could not remember the event, but later admitted to being the person shown, the report said.
Kepke said he and two other people were on a boat when the alligator was caught along a canal bank near Ranchwood Street in Palm City. He identified Osborne as the person who caught the reptile. Kepke told investigators the alligator was released alive.
Osborne confirmed that he caught the alligator and gave it to Kepke at Kepke’s request, according to FWC.
He recorded Kepke’s actions with his cellphone, the report said.