Man Who "Found" Jersey Shore Alligator Actually Abandoned It: SPCA

NEPTUNE, NJ — The Monmouth County SPCA says it has now located the people accused of abandoning a young alligator outside this past Sunday night in Neptune Township.

And — in a true caimen curveball — one of the men is the person who originally called police and said he "found" the reptile.

"Thanks to anonymous tips and help from various sources, Savion Mendez, 22, of East Orange and alleged finder Angel Rosario, 24, of Asbury Park were identified as the main persons of interest," said the SPCA in a statement Thursday.

Rosario initially told police he called 911 after spotting a storage container on an empty lot next to his home on Bangs Avenue. Inside, he said he found a 3-foot-long juvenile alligator left in a plastic tub, on an evening when the temperature dipped below freezing.

Monmouth County SPCA law enforcement agents investigated, and here is what they say happened:

Mendez purchased the juvenile male gator at a reptile expo in Pennsylvania and was keeping him in a 150-gallon tank at his East Orange home.

When Mendez was evicted from his East Orange residence, he moved with the alligator to the Twinbrook apartment complex in Ocean Township, where he and his new roommates are also now facing eviction.

Being an acquaintance of Mendez, Rosario offered to take the alligator. When Rosario’s parents refused to allow him to keep the 3-foot-long reptile, the two men collectively staged the abandonment and called the police posing as Good Samaritans.

A spokeswoman for the SCPA said "at no point was the alligator left in a dangerous or life-threatening situation," meaning that the two took the gator outside that night, stayed with it and immediately called 911 saying they "found" the animal.

However, Mendez will have regulatory charges brought forth by the NJ Department of Fish & Wildlife for the violation of keeping a prohibited and dangerous exotic species. And Rosario, along with his parents, are facing charges of falsifying a police report, as all three gave statements to animal welfare agents that night.

As for the juvenile gator, he has been transferred to the care of the Cape May County Zoo. The public will be able to see the reptile this spring.

"We're grateful for the assistance of the public, who gave us key information bringing us to the conclusion of this case," said Monmouth SPCA Director Ross Licitra on Thursday.

Original Patch report: Alligator Found In Jersey Shore Town In Freezing Temps Sunday (Jan. 16)

Neptune Alligator Finds New Home At Cape May Zoo (Jan. 17)