Driver stopped in California had an unusual copilot — a live alligator, photos show

Police officers who pulled over a California man discovered an unexpected passenger in his car: a live alligator.

In a Facebook post, the Anderson Police Department said officers pulled the man over on suspicion of driving under the influence on Feb. 8. The 29-year-old driver had an active felony warrant for his arrest due to a probation violation, the post said.

Police conducted a DUI evaluation on the man and found that he was not impaired, the post said. When he was arrested on his warrant, he told the officers to be careful about the live alligator sitting on the floor of his car.

Officials from Animal Control and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife responded to the scene and assisted police with the alligator. The man will face additional charges for unlawful possession of the animal, the post said.

The man was booked into the Shasta County Jail on a $35,000 bail, according to jail records. He had previously been charged with battery of a spouse, ex-spouse or date, records show.

The man told police that the alligator belonged to a friend of his who was recently arrested and that he had been holding onto the animal since then.

Anderson is about 150 miles north of Sacramento.

This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Driver stopped in California had an unusual copilot — a live alligator, photos show."