MARKHAM, Ill. – A Chicago man who was arrested for keeping a four-foot alligator denied Tuesday that he had the reptile as a pet in an attempt to woo women.
After being arrested in May, it was widely reported that Dewayne Yarbrough told police he was keeping the bizarre pet in a tiny tank in his kitchen because "chicks dig it."
Yarbrough's alleged comments even sparked a parody of him on "Saturday Night Live."
The 43-year-old from Ford Heights, Ill., pleaded guilty in a Markham court Tuesday to possessing a dangerous animal, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. He was sentenced to a year's conditional discharge.
"It was a matter of time before it bites somebody," Cook County Judge C. J. Donnelly told Yarbrough during his court appearance. "What were you going to do then?"
Yarbrough replied, "Throw it near a swamp."
When Donnelly asked what Yarbrough was planning to do when the alligator reached its prime size of 10 feet, the defendant replied, "I never thought that far."
Speaking outside the court, Yarbrough said he picked up the alligator in Indiana -- where the reptile can be sold legally -- five years ago because he "likes exotic animals."
He also said he is allergic to cats and was not interested in owning a dog or snake.
Explaining why he never named the pet, Yarbrough said it was unnecessary as it would not have come when called.
"You can't tame alligators," Yarbrough added.
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