11-foot Alligator Breaks Into Florida Home, Thrashes Around

11-foot Alligator Breaks Into Florida Home, Thrashes Around
An 11-foot-long alligator was spotted inside a Florida home after going through the window. Clearwater Police
Jack Phillips
Updated:

An 11-foot-long alligator was spotted inside a Florida home after going through the window.

The Clearwater Police Department, describing the gator as “an unwanted overnight visitor,” said it was removed from a home in Clearwater.

“The 11-foot-long gator broke into the home through some low windows in the kitchen. The homeowner called police and a trapper also responded to the scene,” the police department wrote on Facebook.

There were no injuries, and the alligator was captured, officials said.

The owner of the home, Mary Wischhusen, saw the alligator at around 3:30 a.m. when she went to the bathroom.

An 11-foot-long alligator was spotted inside a Florida home after going through the window. (Clearwater Police)
An 11-foot-long alligator was spotted inside a Florida home after going through the window. Clearwater Police
“I heard this huge, monstrous crash, like the whole roof was falling in on the side of my house,” she told Fox13. “I headed for the kitchen and as I got to the door of the kitchen, I had this beautiful face staring at me as though he belonged there. This 10-foot gator was having a marvelous time sitting in my kitchen.”

The gator apparently came in through her floor-to-ceiling windows before knocking over furniture and damaging walls.

The gator apparently came in through her floor-to-ceiling windows before knocking over furniture and damaging walls. (Clearwater Police)
The gator apparently came in through her floor-to-ceiling windows before knocking over furniture and damaging walls. Clearwater Police

“I decided I wasn’t staying there, so I went back to my bedroom and closed the door and called the police,” Wischhusen recalled. “I was hyperventilating a little, so what I did was I went on the computer and played games to settle down.”

Two trappers and ten officers responded to the scene.

Two trappers and ten officers responded to the scene. (Clearwater Police)
Two trappers and ten officers responded to the scene. Clearwater Police

“He could have come right after me,” she told the news outlet. “I’m very happy he did not come after me.”

Wischhusen said she isn’t sure why the alligator broke into her house after passing by four empty condos.

“He was really tying. But it’s mating season,” she added. “They’ll try anything.”

The homeowner said she isn't sure why the alligator broke into her house after passing by four empty condos. (Clearwater Police)
The homeowner said she isn't sure why the alligator broke into her house after passing by four empty condos. Clearwater Police

She noted that the alligator smashed her bottles of red wine.

“I think after all these years, if you’ve been a nurse this long, you’ve seen everything. He was just added to the book that I need to write,” Wischhusen added. “It’s just amazing.”

Image of an alligator on a golf course. (Skeeze/Pixabay)
Image of an alligator on a golf course. Skeeze/Pixabay
Over Memorial Day weekend, a woman suffered injuries after she was attacked by an alligator in Fay Lake Wilderness Park, Florida.

“We have a female who was allegedly bit by an alligator. She was out in the woods, swimming in a lake, from what we understand,” Brevard County Fire District Chief Thomas Uzel told the news outlet. “She was classified as a trauma alert and she was transported to Holmes.”

Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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