A homeless man has been arrested after he was spotted climbing all over a group of endangered manatees in Florida.
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Dube said a witness confronted Massengale about his actions and told him that manatees are endangered species, but Massengale replied, “I’m riding it”.
The Florida Wildlife Commission officer said he was only going to issue a notice to appear in court on the misdemeanor manatee violation.
Water palaver: James Roy Massengale Jr, 47, was arrested for allegedly “touching and lying over” manatees in a Florida creek.
Massengale was verbally combative with officers, officials said. When police questioned Massengale, he changed his story several times before finishing with the fact that he wasn’t going to stop touching those manatees until somebody with a badge told him to do so.
There were two adult manatees and a calf, and officers said he continuously chanted, “take me to jail”.
He was placed under arrest by Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and transported to Monroe County Jail in Islamorada.
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Online jail records list Massengale’s occupation as a “student preacher”. If a manatee is killed or injured then a maximum fine of $50,000 and/or one year in prison can be served under federal law.
