When Alligators are outlawed..only outlaws with have alligators
Man assaults woman with alligator
OrlandoSentinel.com Staff
Posted July 16, 2004, 6:00 PM EDT
A Port Orange man is facing a battery charge, accused of assaulting his girlfriend with a pet alligator he kept in his bathtub, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
The man's choice of pets was not only unusual, but also illegal, resulting in a second criminal charge against 41-year-old David Havenner.
At approximately 9:47 a.m., a Volusia County Sheriff's deputy was dispatched to 2565 Guava Drive in response to a domestic violence report. The 39-year-old victim told the deputy that an argument had started between her and Havenner that escalated into violence when he started hitting her with his fists.
He then went to the bathroom and returned wielding a three-foot alligator, swinging it at the woman. He hit her arm with the reptile as she tried to escape. He then threw empty beer bottles at her and finally shoved her out the front door of the house. The woman went to a neighbor's house to call for help.
Havenner is charged with battery and possession of an alligator, both misdemeanor offences. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission authorities were called out to the house to handle the illegal reptile.
Havenner was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.
