Sheriff’s deputies in Onslow County, North Carolina, were able to capture what they called a “prehistoric perp” recently.
On May 28, the deputies, along with officers from the state’s Wildlife Resources Commission, took a 400-pound gator into custody after it “was caught loitering near the double yellow line” on a local roadway.
The gator was “just chilling and snapping, clearly ignoring the ‘no loitering or lounging on roadways’ sign,” officials said on Facebook.
The gator, who was about 10 feet long, has been dubbed Pepe and was “cited for Suspicion of Being a Dinosaur Without Proper Papers, Public Loitering with Intent to Sunbathe, and Obstructing Traffic.”
Some Facebook users pointed out that Pepe “smiled for his mugshot.”
Pepe was safely relocated, the office said.