'Alligator offered no resistance': Anderson police find python, alligator in a car during arrest

Anderson police officers got a surprise when they found two reptile passengers while they made an arrest on Tuesday, according to the department.

Officers discovered a 2-foot American alligator and a python inside of a car driven by Tyler Watson, a Redding resident, Anderson police officer Mike Halligan said.

Officers found the python inside a pillowcase and the alligator on the front passenger seat floor, Halligan said.

Halligan said Watson, 29, warned the officers about the reptiles while they arrested him at the Power Market on Briggs Street off Highway 273 in Anderson.

"The alligator offered no resistance," Halligan said. "It was completely compliant."

Halligan said he wasn't able to identify the color of the python because officers chose to keep the snake inside the pillowcase. The python's owner was called to the scene to pick up the animal.

Halligan said Watson explained how he came to possess the alligator.

"(Watson) told us that it was not his alligator and it belonged to a friend who was recently arrested," Halligan said. "He told us that he was taking care of it."

Watson was arrested on a felony DUI warrant out of Lassen County, officials said.

The alligator was taken to Turtle Bay Exploration Park, Halligan said.

Turtle Bay Exploration Park curator of animal programs Sharon Clay said the alligator is being held temporarily at the park. She said the reptile will be turned over to California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The state prohibits the possession of alligators and crocodiles.

Clay explained why keeping alligators as pets is dangerous.

"As they get older they can be quite dangerous. They require a lot of special care. The animal will suffer in the long run," she said. "We want people to learn to not take any wildlife. Keep wildlife wild is what we say."

Ethan Hanson started working for the Redding Record Searchlight after four years with the Los Angeles Daily News as a freelancer. His coverage includes working the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana, and writing about the St. Louis Rams' move to Los Angeles with the Ventura County Star. He began his career as a play-by-play broadcaster for LA Pierce College from 2011-2017. Follow him on Twitter at @EthanAHanson_RS.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Anderson police find python, alligator in car during an arrest