Apr 29, 2006 12:30 am US/Pacific
Former Cop In Reggie's Release Pleads Not Guilty
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
A former Los Angeles police officer has pleaded not guilty to 14 misdemeanor charges stemming from the dumping of an alligator into an urban lake where it has avoided capture since last summer.
Todd Natow was not present Friday in court. Natow's attorney entered the plea for him.
Authorities allege that Natow and another man, Anthony Brewer, released the seven-foot reptile known as "Reggie" last summer into Harbor Regional Park's Machado Lake when it became too large to keep as a pet.
Both men were arrested in August and charged with causing a public nuisance, releasing an alligator into the lake, unlawful possession of restricted animals and marijuana possession.
The alligator, last seen in October, is believed to still be in the lake and hibernating.
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