Residents fear a scaly predator was dumped into Arizona lake. Cops can’t find one
Despite a report that an alligator had been placed in an Arizona lake, no reptiles have been found, officials said.
Police received a report of someone putting “what appeared to be an alligator into Arrowhead Lake” in Glendale on Saturday, Aug. 27, Jose Santiago, a spokesperson for the city, said in an email to McClatchy News on Monday, Aug. 29.
Mary Barolli, whose home is near the lake, said she’s concerned the reptile could get through her fence, according to 12News.
“I was kind of worried,” Barolli told the outlet. “I have a dog and he goes outside.”
Nonetheless, an alligator has not been spotted as of Wednesday, Aug. 31, Santiago said in an email.
At the time of the report, Santiago said the police department took “this report seriously.” In doing so, police contacted several agencies to potentially locate the alligator, “safely remove it and transfer it to a sanctuary.”
“Once again, the alligator has yet to be spotted so we cannot confirm that an actual alligator was ever placed into the lake,” Santiago said in his email Monday, Aug. 29.
A herpetological society took part in the search and does not believe an alligator was dropped in the lake, The Arizona Republic reported.
Arrowhead Lake, a 130-acre man-made lake in Glendale about 20 miles north of Phoenix, is surrounded by about 1,000 homes, with about 75% sitting on the waterfront, according to the homeowner’s association.
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Residents fear a scaly predator was dumped into Arizona lake. Cops can’t find one."
