Grumpy Woman, Shirtless Ted Cruz, William Shatner Sued: Weird Florida

Patch operates 23 daily news sites in Florida. The following are some of the more unusual, wacky, wonderful and just plain weird stories from the month of March:

Cops: Thief Caught Driving Stolen Car Days Later

While many accused car thieves ditch the rides one way or another within short time to avoid getting caught with the evidence, that wasn’t the case in Bradenton recently.

Hero Dad Saves Son From Flying Bat At Pirates Game

A Florida man went into full-fledged "Dad-mode" on Saturday to save his 8-year-old son from being hit in the face by an errant bat.

Disney Magic Doesn’t Turn Grumpy Woman’s Frown Upside Down

Walt Disney World is supposed to be the “most magical place on earth,” but that just wasn’t enough to turn a recent visitor’s frown upside down.

Watch: Massive Gator Crashes School’s Dismissal

Students at Geneva Classical Academy got a lesson Thursday that they’re not likely to forget. Instead of lining up for dismissal, they got to watch from afar as a trapper captured a near 10-foot alligator that crashed the campus.

Florida Woman Fights To Keep Clothes-Wearing Gator Pet

Measuring about 6 feet in length and weighing in at 125 pounds, Rambo isn’t your ordinary pet. But then again, Lakeland’s Mary Thorn isn’t exactly your ordinary pet owner.

Gov. Rick Scott Endorses Donald Trump … Sort Of

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is throwing his support behind Donald Trump in the upcoming general election. The Republican governor stopped short of outright endorsing Trump, who won Florida’s Presidential Preference Primary Tuesday night.

Photos: Silly Florida Deer Discover Swimming Isn’t For Them

Two Florida deer found out the hard way recently that swimming isn’t necessarily a strong suit. Just what the pair were thinking when they ran directly into the waters off Panama City Beach on March 15 is unclear. What is clear is that the move nearly turned out to be a very bad idea for the two, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Pit Bull Owner’s Command Bites Him In The Butt: Cops

A 26-year-old Florida man’s attempt to get his pit bull to bite police officers didn’t turn out like he expected. When ordered to “kill ‘em boy, kill ‘em,” the dog turned and bit its owner instead, according to a probable cause affidavit released by the Riviera Beach Police Department.

Shirtless Ted Cruzmobile Turning Heads In Florida

Cheryl Lankes is a staunch supporter of Sen. Ted Cruz’s bid for the Republican nomination. She even has a car to prove it.

Tampa Man Who Bit Off Fingerprints To Avoid Arrest Sentenced

The Tampa man who bit off his fingerprints in February to escape arrest in Ohio pleaded guilty to charges of escape, tampering with evidence, obstructing official business and resisting arrest on Tuesday. An Ohio judge sentenced him to serve 18 months there before he'll face extradition to Florida, several media outlets have reported.

Tampa Man Slaps William Shanter With $170M Lawsuit

As Capt. James T. Kirk on “Star Trek” William Shatner was famed for his on-camera trysts with the ladies. It’s an alleged off-camera incident that has prompted a Tampa man to file a $170 million lawsuit against the actor.

Watch: Charging Florida Panther Interrupts Nature Walk

A Madison, Wisc., woman got the surprise of a lifetime recently while out on a leisurely stroll through the National Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples.

Screenshot from Inside Edition