Bambi Eloriaga-Amago
When you’re in Florida, a place known for its alligators, it’s probably best not to hide in a body of water. 22-year-old Matthew Riggins was running from policemen and dogs when he waded into a lake to escape. Unfortunately for Riggins, a native of Palm Bay, Florida, he wasn’t alone in the lake.
“I believe he was hiding,” said policeman Maj. Tod Goodyear, “With the dogs out there, it’s not a bad idea to go into the water.”
Prior to his death, Riggins had told his girlfriend that he and a friend would be burglarizing homes in a community called Barefoot Bay. On the evening of November 13, police quickly went to the scene, responding to reports of suspicious-looking men wearing black clothes, lurking behind the houses.
Police, k-9 and helicopter units gave chase, but no suspects were caught. Riggins was reported missing the next day by his family after he failed to return home. Ten days later, his body was discovered floating in the lake, being guarded by a particularly aggressive 11-foot alligator.
“…at that point, we had a belief that he was probably attacked by the alligator when he was trying to get away from police,” explained Maj. Goodyear.
The gator was euthanized and a necropsy on the animal revealed “…remains consistent with the injuries to Riggins inside the alligator’s stomach.”
