Baby Rescued, Human Trafficking, Gator Climbs Tree

Patch operates 23 daily news sites in Florida. The following are some of the top headlines from the past day:

Deputies Rescue Baby From Man Allegedly High On Molly

Two Pasco County deputies are being lauded as heroes after they wrestled a baby away from a man accused of walking on a busy roadway, high on Molly, with the child in his arms.

Gator Goes Out On a (Tree) Limb

Florida residents are accustomed to alligators getting out and stretching their legs this time of year. Sightings in residential neighborhoods, along busy streets and even on sandy beaches aren’t all that uncommon. But it’s not every day that an alligator is spotted hanging out in a tree.

Human Trafficking Victim Rescued by Deputies

A 30-year-old Orlando man faces a number of charges after Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies say he forced a woman to commit acts of prostitution.

Florida Zika Virus Cases Up By 11 in 1 Day

The total number of confirmed, travel-related Zika virus cases in the state of Florida climbed to 263 on Wednesday with 11 new instances reported. One of the new cases involves a Hillsborough County resident.

3 Charged in 7-Pound Pomeranian’s Death

The violent death of a 7-pound Pomeranian in Nokomis in June led to the arrest of three people over the past few days. One of the three has since died in what authorities say was an apparent suicide at the Sarasota County Jail.

Donation Meant to Help Firefighters Chill Out

Clearwater firefighters have a new way to chill out when heat related to their jobs becomes too much for their bodies to handle.

Lowry Park Zoo Celebrates Summer Sunsets

Tampa Bay area residents who’ve ever wondered what Lowry Park Zoo’s animals do after dark will get the chance to find out this summer. The zoo has announced the debut of a Sunset Celebration on select weekend nights.

Photo courtesy of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo