Worse than cockroaches: Finding an 8-foot gator on your kitchen floor

[Image courtesy Pinellas County Sheriff's Office]
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EAST LAKE -- Around 10:30 p.m. Monday, Sandra Frosti heard an intruder bumping around in her kitchen.

Turns out, the noise was made by an 8-foot, 8-inch alligator that had crawled into the 69-year-old's kitchen in Eastlake Woodlands.

The female alligator apparently pushed through a screened panel on the back porch, shouldered its way past a potted ficus tree, then got inside the house through an open rear sliding glass door. Once inside, it crawled through the living room, down the hall and into the kitchen.

When Frosti looked into the kitchen, she saw the beast's head. She called 911 and left the house. Click here for audio of the 911 call.

"What's going on?" asked a dispatcher.

"There's an alligator in my kitchen!" Frosti said.

"How long do you think the alligator is ma'am?"

"It's huge!" Frosti said. "... I only saw the first half of it, and that had to be at least 3 feet. ... Because it was behind the freezer, and I just disappeared."

"Are you sure it couldn't be like, a, uh, iguana or a really large..."

"Oh, no, no, no, no!" Frosti said.

"All right," the dispatcher told her, "we'll get deputies out that way."

Pinellas deputies called a trapper who removed it about 1:30 a.m. During the capture, the gator was slightly injured when a plate was knocked to the ground and cut the reptile. No other injuries were reported.

"The house was a mess," Frosti said. "It did a good amount of damage in the kitchen."

This morning, there was still dirt and blood on the kitchen floor, blood spattered on the wall and a claw mark on the hallway wall.

Frosti said she didn't know when the gator got in or where it might have wandered before she noticed it.

"It might have been in the bedroom for all I know," she said.

The gator "looked awfully well-fed," she said, adding that authorities told her they thought it was "wanted to check out the cat."

This morning, Frosti said she had no hard feelings and even worried that the alligator would be destroyed because of her size. Mostly, she found the whole thing amusing.

"I can't wait to tell my grandkids," she said, "because they probably won't believe me."

Casey Cora and Eileen Schulte, Times staff writers

Comments

It's mating season. Sandra needs to secure her doors better.

[Jeff]

Pa, get the shotgun! Dinner just walked in the door!

[jamie]

Mama gets a new pair of boots

The gator has a good liability case having dishes thrown at him and injuring him...call Morgan & Morgan www.forthegators.com

[Dave W]

I live on the fifth floor. I won't be impressed by gators sneaking in my place until one gets in my building, into the elevator, and through the solid wood door.

That goes for UF Gators as well...

[Paula]

He wanted the home life and just wanted say hello. Just did not like the wild life .Wanted a home cooked meal

[Andrew]

I would rather have the gator than some of my cousins... I bet the gator knows how to wipe his feet and tail before coming in...

[Jethro Tatro]

The gator was looking for a poodle treat!! Yum Yum!!

[Todd]

Times are tough for the gators too. He couldn't afford the lakefront property taxes.

[Gilbert]

I haven't had gator meat in about three years, now is a better time than any, ha!

The alligator is very photogenic. He has a nice smile...like my elected public officials.

[kerry]

I wonder if he tastes like chicken.

[Kelly]

I don't know what is more entertaining, the article or the comments.

Now he is 8' 8" long. By the end of the day he'll probably be up to 15' long.

[jim]

OH Honey!!! I'm Home!!!!!

[XTC]

well i could sure use a belt and a matchin gatorskin handbag. i must say i listened to that 911 operator and she did not have any empathy for the old lady...she could have asked her if she is safe and out of harms way.I say she needs more sensitivity training if she is gonna be dealin with the public,,,,reminded me of one of those rude customer service operators you come cross from time to time!!

[Deb]

Guess I wont leave my doors open for fresh air anymore. Esp at night.

[Cheryl Lassiter]

Hereeeeeeeee GATOR GATOR.... lol

[millie b]

The lady should have lured him back out with a chicken leg.

[Tee]

The gator, worried that the Family Research Council heard a "gay" was sited in Pinellas County and was going to rally the County Commission to strip him of his rights to live and work in Pinellas Coutny immediately headed out to seek the safety, comfort and solace of his own people in Key West.

[Brass Bowl]

He went to the kitchen to find some chicken. He was just curious to see what if it tastes like poodle.

[Chip]

How come those things never get into homes like the Poes or some of our double-dipping elected officials?

[Marty S.]

This is all probably due to the passing of amendment 1. Thanks Charlie!

[Stacie]

Honestly I think the 911 Operator was pretty rude. She didn't sound like she was concerned at all. I do understand that they get non-sense calls but she didn't have to come off like Mrs. Frosti didn't know what an alligator was.

[Jim]

I'd rather have the gator, at least she belongs here, that all those d@mn yankees!

[Jim]

I guess she was a Seminoles fan!?

[Melissa]

you guys are too funny. Thanks for the chuckles!

[Bianka]

Thats exactly why I live in Upstate New York and NOT in Florida!!!