# Unexpected surprise: Gateway man finds alligator in his home

Updated: 8:51 AM EDT Mar 15, 2025

SENDS IT INTO THE SUV. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS HURT. >> I FOUND TEETH THEM. AS THAT I SOME TEA TO I'M SAVING AND WHEN HE TURNED AROUND, I THREW MY GARBAGE. HE SAVED HIS. WHO WANTS AN ALLIGATOR TO >> LEFT TO FORT MYERS, FAMILY SOUVENIR AFTER BREAKING INTO THEIR HOME. >> THAT WAS GULF COAST NEWS REPORTER MOHAMMED UP TO A CALL. WE SPOKE WITH THE MAN WHO SAYS HE THOUGHT IT WAS HIS WIFE COMING THROUGH THE DOOR WHEN HE GOT QUITE THE SURPRISE. >> I CAN'T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED BUT >> PAUL QUINN WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM SUNDAY MORNING. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS. YOU DON'T THINK THAT IT'LL HAPPEN TO YOU INSTEAD OF DOING HIS USUAL ROUTINE. CHECKING HIS E-MAIL, HE'S BEING CHECKED OUT BY GATOR INSIDE HIS HOME. MIKE, IS IT REALLY AN ALLIGATOR IN MY LIVING ROOM OR IN THE KITCHEN AREA HERE? AND THEN HE SAW ME AND HE STARTED RUN AND I'M LIKE, OH. I GOT TO DEAL WITH THIS TODAY. PAUL WAS BY HIMSELF AT THE TIME. HE CALLED 9-1-1 AND WAITED 15 MINUTES FOR FWC TO ARRIVE AND REMOVE THE GATOR. HE KEPT HIS DISTANCE QUICKLY, PULL OUT HIS PHONE. SEE THIS GUY DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE, BUT HOW TO GET INSIDE THE QUEEN'S TELL ME USUALLY LEAVE THEIR DOORS OPEN TO GET SOME EXTRA BREEZE INSIDE. >> THE ALLIGATOR WANT TO MAKE ITSELF AT HOME BUSTING THROUGH THIS GREEN AND CAUSING A COMMOTION. PAUL'S WIFE MARY JO RUSHED HOME TO SEE IF HE WAS OK, HE WASN'T HER BUT HAD A FEW QUESTIONS. WHY DID IT COME TO YOUR HOUSE NJ AND 2? HOW MUCH IT ANIMAL CONTROL CHAIR TO TAKE IT AWAY. I WOULD HAVE BEEN TICKETED EVENT A BILL. SO THE ALLIGATOR GRABBED A CHAIR BY THE LEG WHEN THE GUY >> WAS TRYING TO WRESTLE. GET THEM OUT OF HERE. THERE IS NO BILL, BUT THE GATOR LEFT A MARK ON THIS CHAIR AND LEFT THE QUINCY SOUVENIR, 2 OF HIS TEETH THAT MADE ME NERVOUS THAT WE'VE GOT TO GET ON THE ALLIGATOR SLIME OUT OF THAT HOUSE. BUT THIS WON'T STOP THE QUINS FROM WHAT FLORIDA HAS TO OFFER. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A FEAR OF AN ALLIGATOR JUST WALKING UP. >> OUR FRONT WALK INTO OUR FLARE AGAIN. I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THAT. I LIVE IN FLORIDA. I LOVE LIVING HERE. I'M NOT LEAVE FOR DUGGAN GATEWAY. ALWAYS TELL YOU TO BE CAREFUL, YOU KNOW

## Transcript

SENDS IT INTO THE SUV. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS HURT. >> I FOUND TEETH THEM. AS THAT I SOME TEA TO I'M SAVING AND WHEN HE TURNED AROUND, I THREW MY GARBAGE. HE SAVED HIS. WHO WANTS AN ALLIGATOR TO >> LEFT TO FORT MYERS, FAMILY SOUVENIR AFTER BREAKING INTO THEIR HOME. >> THAT WAS GULF COAST NEWS REPORTER MOHAMMED UP TO A CALL. WE SPOKE WITH THE MAN WHO SAYS HE THOUGHT IT WAS HIS WIFE COMING THROUGH THE DOOR WHEN HE GOT QUITE THE SURPRISE. >> I CAN'T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED BUT >> PAUL QUINN WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM SUNDAY MORNING. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS. YOU DON'T THINK THAT IT'LL HAPPEN TO YOU INSTEAD OF DOING HIS USUAL ROUTINE. CHECKING HIS E-MAIL, HE'S BEING CHECKED OUT BY GATOR INSIDE HIS HOME. MIKE, IS IT REALLY AN ALLIGATOR IN MY LIVING ROOM OR IN THE KITCHEN AREA HERE? AND THEN HE SAW ME AND HE STARTED RUN AND I'M LIKE, OH. I GOT TO DEAL WITH THIS TODAY. PAUL WAS BY HIMSELF AT THE TIME. HE CALLED 9-1-1 AND WAITED 15 MINUTES FOR FWC TO ARRIVE AND REMOVE THE GATOR. HE KEPT HIS DISTANCE QUICKLY, PULL OUT HIS PHONE. SEE THIS GUY DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE, BUT HOW TO GET INSIDE THE QUEEN'S TELL ME USUALLY LEAVE THEIR DOORS OPEN TO GET SOME EXTRA BREEZE INSIDE. >> THE ALLIGATOR WANT TO MAKE ITSELF AT HOME BUSTING THROUGH THIS GREEN AND CAUSING A COMMOTION. PAUL'S WIFE MARY JO RUSHED HOME TO SEE IF HE WAS OK, HE WASN'T HER BUT HAD A FEW QUESTIONS. WHY DID IT COME TO YOUR HOUSE NJ AND 2? HOW MUCH IT ANIMAL CONTROL CHAIR TO TAKE IT AWAY. I WOULD HAVE BEEN TICKETED EVENT A BILL. SO THE ALLIGATOR GRABBED A CHAIR BY THE LEG WHEN THE GUY >> WAS TRYING TO WRESTLE. GET THEM OUT OF HERE. THERE IS NO BILL, BUT THE GATOR LEFT A MARK ON THIS CHAIR AND LEFT THE QUINCY SOUVENIR, 2 OF HIS TEETH THAT MADE ME NERVOUS THAT WE'VE GOT TO GET ON THE ALLIGATOR SLIME OUT OF THAT HOUSE. BUT THIS WON'T STOP THE QUINS FROM WHAT FLORIDA HAS TO OFFER. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A FEAR OF AN ALLIGATOR JUST WALKING UP. >> OUR FRONT WALK INTO OUR FLARE AGAIN. I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THAT. I LIVE IN FLORIDA. I LOVE LIVING HERE. I'M NOT LEAVE FOR DUGGAN GATEWAY. ALWAYS TELL YOU TO BE CAREFUL, YOU KNOW

## Summary

Paul Quinn will never forget what happened to him Sunday morning at his home along Chadsford Circle, in Fort Myers. It's one of those things, you don't think that it will happen to you, but instead of doing his usual routine of checking his email, he was being checked out by a nearly 7-foot gator inside his home. He was by himself at the time, his family wasn't home, and he called 911 and waited 50 minutes for FWC to arrive and remove the gator. He kept his distance and started taking pictures. The gator didn't want to leave. The Quinns told Gulf Coast News that they usually leave their door open to get some extra breeze inside, and the gator ripped a hole in the screen and caused a commotion. Paul's wife, Mary Jo, rushed home to see if he was OK, he wasn't hurt, but had a few questions. Why did it come to your house, MJ? Two, how much an animal control charge to take it away, I would have been ticked had there been a bill. There was no bill, but the gator left a mark on a chair and left the Quinns a souvenir: two of its teeth! This won't stop the Quinns from what Florida has to offer. "I don't want to have a fear of an alligator just walking up our front walk into our foyer again; I can't live like that; I live in Florida. I love living here, and I'm not leaving," said Mary Jo Quinn. "They always tell you to be careful, you know be mindful of the alligators, this is why," said Paul Quinn. FWC live transferred the alligator to an alligator farm. The FWC places the highest priority on public safety and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP). The goal of SNAP is to proactively address alligator threats in developed areas while conserving alligators in areas where they naturally occur. SNAP uses contracted nuisance alligator trappers throughout the state to remove alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property. People with concerns about an alligator should call the FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and they will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation.
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