Sabrina Peckham homeless Florida woman, mauled to death by 14 ft alligator had a history of trespassing in the swamp area close to where woodlands she is thought to have lived.
A homeless Florida woman who was mauled to death by a huge alligator just two months after she was arrested for trespassing in wetlands, where it is believed she may have dwelled.
Sabrina Peckham, 41, was found in the jaws of the alligator after being dragged by the 14-foot beast into a canal on Friday in Largo, Clearwater.
The cause of death has yet to be determined as it wasn’t clear if the transient woman was already dead when the predator set on its prey.
History of trespassing, drug and theft arrests
Two months before her death, Peckham was arrested on July 14, 6.30am for trespassing on a county wetland just half a mile from where she was mauled, WFLA reported.
Peckman ignored posted signage warning against unlaw entry.
After pleading no contest to the misdemeanor, she was released from the county on Sept. 8 and was ordered to $500.
Records show she had a history of run-ins with police dating back to 2014, including multiple charges for trespassing.
Peckman also had multiple drug and theft convictions lodged against her.
Investigators are still trying to determine whether Peckman was killed by the gator.
Several local residents spotted the alligator dragging its prey away and set to record the macabre scene while alerting the Largo Fire Department.
Emergency responders, together with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, managed to pull the alligator from the water before shooting it dead, with officials describing it as having been ‘humanely killed’.
Part of homeless population that lived in nearby woods
Wrote Peckham’s daughter, Breauna Dorris, on social media: ‘No matter how you put it, no one deserves to die like this.’
Read a GoFundMe the daughter posted: ‘The past 24 hours have been filled with grief and sorrow and unbearable pain for our family.
‘My mother, Sabrina Peckham was the victim of the alligator attack at McCay Creek (rainbow village). Please understand that we do not have all information yet as the medical examiners report is not yet finished.
‘Some details I would like to share is that my mother did not ‘taunt’ the alligator as some are saying in the news outlets comments.
‘My mother was a part of the homeless population that lived in the nearby wooded area. It is believed that she may have been walking to or from her camp site near the creek in the dark and the alligator attacked from the water.
‘We expected to have many many more years with her. Unfortunately god has called her home sooner than our hearts were ready.’
Gators routinely wondered in the area
Posted Dorris in a statement: ‘To my mother: I love you more than I ever expressed, I miss you more than you’ll ever know and I pray that you are looking down over me and your grandchildren.
‘Please protect us. I’m so sorry this happened to you. I pray you are at peace and you are no longer struggling or hurting. I pray you found momo and pop and you all are watching down from above.’
It remained unclear if Dorris was in contact with her mother and how the parent came to live in the woods.
Also unclear is what provisions or resources, the homeless community living in the woods were offered, if anything.
It’s believed the deadly reptile had come from a nearby alligator-infested lake known as Ridgecrest Park. The gators routinely wander the neighborhood, according to neighbors, with the one killed on Friday was one of the biggest some had ever encountered.
