A 6 foot alligator was found in a Chicago home this weekend

CHICAGO — Police say a south suburban Lansing resident kept an alligator at his home for 26 years without his neighbors knowing.

Sgt. Bill Shannon, of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ conservation police, said Jan. 23 that owner Charles Price “put it out periodically in his back yard. No one knew he had it, no one had ever seen it.”

Much of the time, however, the 6-foot-long animal stayed in a large cage in the basement, Shannon said.

An appliance repairman working in Price’s basement earlier this month noticed something stirring inside a covered container. He lifted the cover, took pictures and contacted Lansing Police Department’s animal control.

The call found its way to Shannon, who estimates he’s handled six to eight significantly smaller alligators in his more than 20 years as a police officer. He turned reptile wrangling duties over to conservation police Officer Roberto Macias and an alligator specialist identified only as “Bob.”

“It was every bit of 200 pounds,” Shannon said.

Lansing police Chief Dennis Murrin Jr., who called the state for help, understood Shannon’s perspective: “In 25 years, I’ve never had anything like it.”

Source: Chicago Tribune