Man who kept alligator to woo women gets charged

(CBS/AP/WKRG) FORD HEIGHTS, Ill. - See you later, alligator.

An Illinois man who was charged with possession of a dangerous animal claims his four-foot long pet alligator was actually a chick magnet.

Dewayne Yarborough, 43, of Ford Heights, says he bought the reptile five years ago in Indiana for only $200. He kept the alligator because it attracted women, he says. In order to keep the unusual pet from growing too large, Yarborough told investigators he kept it in a small tank and only fed it 10 live mice per month.

Animal control investigators found the 'gator in a fish tank in Yarborough's kitchen, but did not say how they learned of its existence.

His next court date is July 5th, reports CBS affiliate WKRG.

Meanwhile, the alligator was taken to the Animal Welfare League Thursday and will be given to the Chicago Herpetological Society, which studies reptiles and amphibians - although probably not the dating habits of people who keep alligators as pets.