Gators, Naked Burglars, Trump-Shaped Ecstasy: 2019 Weird Stories

ACROSS FLORIDA — Between now and New Year's, Patch will take a look back at 2019 and recall some of the biggest news stories from the year.

Here is a look back at the weirder stories posted on Florida Patch sites this year:

A New Port Richey man led police on a low-speed chase (35 mph) before he was arrested for his fifth DUI. What makes this story unusual isn't the crime; it's the brilliant smile he flashed for his mugshot.

Florida Man Appears Happy To Get His 5th Felony DUI

Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies asked for the public's help to find a man caught inflagranti delecti at least three times in video camera at a construction site.

Deputies Seek Man Caught Masturbating At Construction Site

In Ocoee, Florida, a feisty 8-foot gator head-butted one trapper and knocked him out cold, then whacked others with its powerful tail.

Feisty Alligator Knocks Trapper Out Cold, Whacks Others: Video

A St. Petersburg man was arrested after police said he began handing out marijuana to passersby "because it was Christmas."

Police Say Man Passed Out Pot To Passersby In Spirit Of Season

After getting the boot from Pasco County Fire Rescue, a former firefighter stood at a busy intersection collecting donations in a fireman's boot. His charity was himself.

Man Pretended To Be Firefighter, Collected Cash In Boot: Sheriff

A Hudson man told sheriff's deputies that he was shot by an assailant in the woods. He later admitted that he shot himself in the leg while "playing cowboy."

Felon Arrested After Shooting Self While 'Playing Cowboy'

A man broke into a Largo church the day before Thanksgiving and consumed the feast the church planned to serve the following day. Church officials later said they would have gladly served him Thanksgiving dinner.

Man Broke Into Largo Church, Ate Thanksgiving Feast

Pasco County Sheriff's deputies contended with a string of domestic arguments throughout the year in which food was a weapon. In addition to turkey soup, a pizza, bell pepper, burrito, frozen pork chop, cookie, bottle of dressing and hamburger were used as ammunition.

Pizza, Pork, Burrito: String Of Food Attacks Confound Deputies

A Pasco County high school student was arrested after posting a request on social media to hire a hitman to kill his teacher.

Student Posted Message To Hire Hitman To Kill Teacher: Sheriff

A Bloomingdale man was upset when a driver in front of him slammed on the brakes. He got out of his car, walked over to the offending drive and pointed a gun at him. He later told deputies that he just wanted the other driver to "chill out."

Bloomingdale Man Points Gun At Driver To Get Him To 'Chill Out'

A 29-year-old Clearwater man was arrested for driving under the influence after he was spotted driving erratically and swerving onto a sidewalk. When cops asked to see his driver's license, he told them he's never had one.

Man Arrested For DUI Told Police He's Never Had Driver's License

St. Petersburg Police arrested a man who threatened to kill employees at a McDonald's because his order took too long.

Man Threatened Workers When McDonald's Order Took Too Long

A Brandon woman was banned from the Magic Kingdom for life after punching a tax driver who refused to give her a cigarette.

Brandon Woman Banned From Disney World Following Ruckus

A Hillsborough County man was arrested after he kidnapped a woman's dog and refused to return it unless she had sex with him.

Man Demands Sex In Exchange For Returning Woman's Dog: Sheriff

A Clearwater man was busted for possession of ecstasy. When police searched him, they found ecstasy pills in the shape of Donald Trump's head.

Cops Say Florida Man Busted With Ecstasy Shaped Like Trump's Head

Heavy rains in August caused Pinellas County streets to flood and resulted in one driver catching a gator swimming across an intersection on video.

Video: It's Raining Gators In Florida

A Pasco County man led deputies on two high-speed chases. When they finally caught up to him, he said he fled because he wanted to go to prison.

Man Says He Fled Deputies Twice Because He Wanted To Go To Prison

Deputies arrested a man after he beat up his friend, destroyed furniture, overturned a television and smashed a guitar. The man told deputies he was just trying to catch a kitten.

Man Claims He Was Trying To Catch Kitten When He Trashed House

In one of the more bizarre stories of the year, a man was caught on video breaking into cars in a fenced parking lot wearing nothing but a bra and a baseball cap.

Nearly Naked Man Wearing Bra Breaks Into Vehicles In Fenced Lot

Two Pinellas County detention deputies were suspended after the sheriff said they taped mean signs to inmates' backs to humiliate them

Video: Deputies Suspended For Taping Mean Signs To Inmates' Backs

Clearwater Fire & Rescue was greeted by a strange sight when a man got stuck while cleaning out the tank on top of his pesticide truck.

Firefighters Rescue Man Stuck In Tank On Top Of Pesticide Truck

A man was charged with possession after he tried to hide a bag of heroin in his rectum while being booked into jail.

Man Accused Of Fleeing Pasco Deputy, Hiding Heroin In Rectum

A Pasco County inmate is facing additional charges after he mailed a postcard from the jail soliciting a hitman.

Pasco Inmate Accused Of Ordering Hit On Fellow Inmate By Postcard

A St. Petersburg woman was caught on videotape entering an ice cream parlor after hours and peeing into a bucket used to churn ice cream.

St. Pete Woman Peed In Ice Cream-Making Bucket: PD

A Pinellas County woman captured a heart-breaking photo of a mother skimmer trying to feed her baby a cigarette butt.

Butts Off The Beach: Black Skimmer Feeds Cigarette Butt To Chick

Florida police find some strange things at the beach but this is the first time they recovered a prosthetic ear.

Florida Police Department: 'Have You Lost An Ear?'

It wasn't difficult for Hillsborough County deputies to figure out what this guy was doing. When he was arrested, he still had the tell-tale white powder of cocaine on his nose.

Hillsborough Deputies: What's That White Powder Under Your Nose?

It's hard to tell who a man was insulting more when he spray painted the words "white trash" on his mother's driveway.

Man Accused Of Spray Painting 'White Trash' On Mom's Driveway

A Clearwater woman woke up to find an 11-foot gator in her kitchen plundering her collection of fine wines.

11-Foot Gator Breaks Into Clearwater Home, Heads For The Wine

A Pasco County teen threatened to shoot up his school in a letter to Santa deposited in Santa's Mailbox at Macy's.

Pasco School Shooting Threat Made In Letter To Santa: Sheriff

Miami firefighters responded to a call about an unconscious person. When they arrive, however, they found the person was actually an alligtor.

Miami Firefighters Mistake Alligator For Person Who Needed Help

A naked man was caught on video burglarizing the concession stand at a Little League field.

Sheriff Seeks Naked Burglar Who Stole Money From Little League

A cop impersonator was caught after he pulled over a real sheriff's detective.

Cop Impersonator Caught Pulling Over Real Detective: Sheriff

A woman was shocked to wake up and find a burglar asleep in a bed in her home. When she screamed, the burglar yelled at her to be quiet and then went back to sleep.

Pinellas Burglar Awoken By Resident; Goes Back To Sleep

In an amazing story of survival, a dog was hit by a car and his head got caught in the front grille. An alert sheriff's deputy spotted the dog hanging off the front grille and pulled the car over.

Dog Survives After Getting Stuck In Grille Of Hit-And-Run Car

A man was arrested after cramming rags into the gas tanks of 16 military vehicles parked outside a recruitment center. He was caught when he left the scene to buy a lighter to set the rags on fire. When asked his intentions, the man told sheriff's deputies that he was Archangel Michael on a mission for God.

Florida Man Claims To Be Archangel; Tries To Blow Up Cars