PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – The daughter of the woman whose body was found in the mouth of an alligator in Pinellas County released a statement on Monday saying how hard the death has been on her family.
Deputies said that around 1:50 p.m. on Friday, they responded to the area of 134th Avenue North and 121st Street North in unincorporated Largo after a woman’s body was reported.
Recommended Videos
Investigators later identified the victim as 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham and said an alligator spanning 13 feet, 8.5 inches long was discovered in the waterway, leading crews to humanely kill and remove the animal.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Breauna Dorris, Peckham’s daughter, released a statement to News 6 saying her mother was a Florida native and knew “not to go in or near murky waters.”
Dorris said her mother “was a kind and selfless person” and homeless at the time of her death.
“We can assume (what) happened is that she was going either to or from her campsite that she was sleeping at not too far from where they found her body, and it ended up grabbing her,” Dorris said.
Dorris said her mother has had a rough life and “did not deserve to go how she did”
Investigators announced that the remains of the body were recovered from the waterway by the sheriff’s office’s dive team.
“This tragic passing has been so hard on me and my family. An event like this is devastating, and we are still trying to wrap our head around what happened to her. All things considered, we hope that she is at peace and in a better place. We love and miss her to no extent,” Dorris said.
According to the medical examiners office, the manner and cause of death is pending.
Residents with concerns about an alligator are urged to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: