Alligator wanders into Sarasota homeowner's garage

SARASOTA, Fla. (FOX 13) - A wandering alligator made its way into a Sarasota garage without the homeowner even knowing it.

A neighbor spotted the alligator hanging out in front of the garage of the home in Palmer Ranch in Sarasota Wednesday afternoon. 

When they later realized the alligator was nowhere to be found, neighbors thought the gator may have wandered inside the garage, unbeknownst to the homeowner, who had closed the door to leave. 

When neighbors reached out to the homeowner, they told him to be careful when opening the garage door when he returns because there might be an alligator in there.  Sure enough, the gator had gotten stuck inside the garage.

"He walked around the garage for a minute or two and then scurried under the golf cart," a neighbor named Erica told FOX 13. 

Deputy Robbie Martin arrived soon after and wrangled the alligator out of the garage and took it to a nearby pond, where it was released.

Neighbors say the alligator, which is missing a front foot, has been walking around the community for a few weeks now. 

Erica told FOX 13 she just moved to Florida from up north so she's not used to seeing such things. She said she loves living in Florida and knows that living with alligators is all part of it, but laughs, "This is all too much for us city people to handle."