[Not Afraid]

LOS ANGELES -- A former LAPD officer and another man were arrested in connection with the release of an alligator into Machado Lake in Harbor City, where searchers have been trying to corral the reptile, police said.



Authorities also seized alligators, piranhas, scorpions and a tortoise from a home Wednesday morning in the 2500 block of South Moray Avenue in San Pedro in connection with the case, said Los Angeles police Sgt. Catherine Plows.



Investigators said a tip led them to the home where they found evidence of an alligator habitat, photographs of alligators, narcotics and two snapping turtles..............
Based on information gathered in that search, investigators then went to the home of Todd Natow, 42, in the 2500 block of South Moray Avenue in San Pedro around 3 a.m. Wednesday and arrested him. Natow was in possession of three alligators, four piranha fish, one rattlesnake, three desert tortoises, six tortoise eggs, one scorpion and six marijuana plants.


Investigators believe the conspiracy included Brewer giving an alligator to Natow who later released it into the lake.


Natow was a Los Angeles Police Department officer from 1984 to 2001, when he resigned, said Officer Jason Lee.


Authorities believe the men put the alligator into the lake when he grew too big to be a pet...................

The gator is about 7 feet long.


Herpetologists and volunteers said they have not seen the animal for days, but a city parks employee claims to have made a positive identification late Saturday and again Sunday.


The big worry is that the animal could slip out through one of the park's storm drains, Jarron Lucas of the Southwestern Herpetologists Society told the Daily Breeze earlier this week.

I can't WAIT to see a 7' long Gator crawling out of my storm drain.

And, snapping turtles, piranahs, scorpians????? UGH!