Alligator captured by FWC that drowned Matthew Riggins

BREVARD COUNTY, Florida - A Florida man on the prowl to burglarize homes was eaten by an alligator after fleeing deputies, according to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.



The Sheriff's Office said that 22-year-old Matthew Riggins of Palm Bay, Florida, whose body was discovered in a Barefoot Bay lake on November 23, drowned as a result of the alligator attack.





During the recovery of Riggins' body, Sheriff’s Dive Team members encountered a large alligator aggressively approaching the area where the body was located. Due to trauma observed on the body, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission trapper was called and an alligator approximately 11-foot in length was trapped and euthanized. A forensic examination of the alligator located remains consistent with the injuries to Riggins inside the alligator’s stomach.



Investigators believe that the following events led up to the death of Riggins:





During the late evening/early morning hours of November 12-13, 2015, Riggins advised his girlfriend that he was going to Barefoot Bay to commit burglaries with another male subject.





At approximately 2 a.m. on November 13, deputies responded to the area of Tequesta Drive in Barefoot Bay after a resident called reporting that two males, dressed in black, were walking behind houses in the area. During a search of the area, two males were observed on Royal Palm Boulevard. Upon seeing the deputies, the male subjects fled on foot in an attempt to avoid apprehension.





Deputies, assisted by Sheriff’s Office K-9’s and Aviation Unit searched the area without success in locating the burglary suspects. It was later learned that Riggins had contacted his girlfriend during the time frame of the search, advising that they were being chased by deputies. Riggins was reported as a missing person to the Palm Bay Police Department later that day when he did not return home.





Agents have identified the male who was in the company of Riggins that night, however he has refused to cooperate with law enforcement in reference to this investigation.