Alleged Manatee Rider Arrested
Ana Gloria Garcia Gutierrez was arrested Nov. 24 and charged in connection with an illegal ride on a manatee at Fort De Soto Park in late September.
A woman accused of riding a manatee was arrested Nov. 24 and charged with violating the Manatee Sanctuary Act.
Ana Gloria Garcia Gutierrez, 53, had been photographed sitting on and riding a manatee in Fort De Soto Park on Sept. 30.
After her picture had been published by media sources, Gutierrez turned herself in to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office on Oct. 2. Her charges were then forwarded to the State Attorney's Office.
The State Attorney's Office issued a warrant for her arrest on Saturday, Nov. 24, and she was arrested that day at her place of employment at the Sears in Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg.
Gutierrez had claimed to be new to the area and didn't realize touching manatees was illegal at the time she turned herself in. Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies explained to her the laws protecting manatees and possible consequences.
According to the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, it is unlawful for any person to intentionally or negligently disturb a manatee in any way. Violations are considered second degree misdemeanors. The animals are listed as endangered.
Beach goers who saw Gutierrez astride a manatee had summoned park rangers, who contacted deputies. By the time they arrived, Gutierrez had dropped out of sight.
Jennifer
3:39 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
This is ridiculous. The woman is an idiot, but what she did does not warrant being arrested where she works on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, where everyone could see it. How cruel!
BULLET
6:10 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
they could just gave her a court date she shows up and give her a fine and clean up the trash on the beach for a day
CJ
9:09 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
This was exactly how you described it...cruel. Especially since she obviously didn't really mean any harm and likely was simple doing something spontaneous without thinking much. She turned herself in once she knew they were looking fo rher...like a good citizen should. I have talked to people that have said these manatees and get so friendly that interacting with them can be practically impossible to avoid. When I think of some of the crime I see taking place right under the noses of the police, in plain site, related to drugs here in St Pete...it makes me mad that they can so viciously arrest her while at work on the shopping holiday. This story is very disturbing about the police here in this city.
Sandy
4:05 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
There are many warning signs where she rode the manatee telling of the law. Also, many people told her that day, but she continued to harass the manatee.
Janice M.
5:55 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
Nothing in this article or others I have read state that she was warned and that she continued to "harass" the manatee. Where is that written?
Marc K. Banks
4:23 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Too bad it wasn't a rodeo bull.
DeElizabethan
4:33 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
"How cruel!" Life is so much kinder when you pay attention to others and follow the laws.
Edward Bardoe
4:44 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Meanwhile the crack dealers are wearing out the sidewalks in your poorer areas. Don't hassle them, the ACLU will be on you like stink, if the dealer doesn't empty his Glock into you. Much safer to arrest nice old ladies who pet the manatees! Makes you proud of the brave police.
Sandy
5:00 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Edward..........She wasn't petting the manatee. She was sitting on him and riding him -- animal cruelty. You think the police should ignore that? The police did not leave a crack scene to go arrest this woman. Where did you get the idea she was a nice old lady? And, why do you have contempt for the police?
Get a life
12:28 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Riding a 500 animal is not animal cruelty, or riding a horse would be considered animal cruelty.
BULLET
6:13 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
FYI they use to eat manatee when they built the Flagler railroad in the keys
Dee Dokumaci
6:53 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Excuse me people why don't you read the whole story completely this incident happened on September 30th SHE TURNED HERSELF IN OCTOBER 3rd now I agree she did something bad & needs to be punished for her action but State Attorney should not have arrested her 2 days after Thanksgiving at her place of employment, why not wait till she got home, now you know what's going to happen, she is probably going to sue the city due to being humiliated & arrested at her place of employment after she honestly turned herself in, come on that's wrong....
Priscilla
9:02 am on Sunday, November 25, 2012
A notice to appear was all that was needed. Indeed, she turned herself in..c'mon. It's ridiculous to do this. I think we can all say she wouldn't do it again, and in fact, with all the hullabaloo, she has prevented many many more people from touching a manatee.
Get a life
7:53 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
well applaud, applaud steve. you took the pictures and got them copyrighted. Did your penis grow a little bigger because of that? Maybe you and Sandy need to ride each other a little, Then you both can possibly make something of the poor pethetic existance you call a life!!!
CJ
1:56 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
I personally don't have a problem with the ''get a life'' comment here. I appreciate the candid nature of it. What puzzels me, though ...is how can a comment like ''this'' one stand and remain here...but many of the other comments that ''were'' here...are now suddenly removed?
Sandy
8:20 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
I think "Get a life" needs to get a life. Sounds like a bored, insecure kid.
Christine Petellat
8:22 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
WOW. ... IGNORANCE BREEDS HATRED!!! She was ignorant for riding a wild animal. The cops were ignorant for going to her job and not somewhere, anywhere else. Most of these comments are ignorant.
Get a life
8:47 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
You are absolutely right Christine. The Manatees were not hurt or intended to be hurt. A slap on the wrist or some beach clean up would have done, but Steve and Sandy are so proud that they are part of ruining this womans life now for 15 seconds of fame with pictures
Anne Cobb
9:57 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
They didn't ruin her life, she did that all by herself. She did what she wanted for her own selfish reasons, so if she walked into your yard and took your pet because she wanted to, or just decided you were at the beach. She walked over and pick up something of yours, I guess thats ok, right Get a life it doesn't matter what the other people do as far as taking a picture of the things she did, it does matter that what she did was wrong and punishable, no ones looking for fame. She was wrong, period.
Get a life
12:28 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Oh my word Anne, She wasn't stealing anything from anyone. That was Sooo not a good analogy. Yes she was wrong, but so is not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. She should have gotten a ticket not jail. And yes, Steve was bragging in a post about the pictures he took and then put the link to his website up so he could sell his pictures. How selfish is that to turn someone in then try to capitolize on it. He took his post down though once everyone started making comments about it.
Sally Oroe
10:19 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
This is an abuse of power. So out of line how they handled it. First off the lady turned herself in after it happened so why now? Second that is ridiculous that they went to her place of employment. I used to respect the law but just like everything else these days, the people that are supposed to help us have zip for common sense. Not all but quite a few fit in this catagory or worse. We really need a reality check.
MP
10:36 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Wow. And this is how are tax dollars are being spent. Mistake or bad decision on her part, but could have been handled in a more profesional manner by law enforcement. I
wasn't aware of this story until recently, haven't heard of injury to the animal. Love to see this much attention being paid to real, dangerous, or intentionally harmful criminals
Donald H
8:32 am on Sunday, November 25, 2012
Absolutely a travetsy of law...! Thisis soooo inane...! murderers, arsonists, etc. go free but a 2nd degree misdemeanor gets arrested...! What a crock of fecal matter...!
Jeannie Vaughn
9:55 am on Sunday, November 25, 2012
She didn't know it was illegal, she didn't harm the manatee, she turned herself in and apologized. A fine or beach cleanup should have been sufficient, as has been said. The police do need to arrest criminals who are harming others instead of harassing this woman and possibly causing her to lose her job.
CJ
1:50 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
Based on what I have seen so far on this topic, I don't expect to see my comment printed. I have noticed several comments by others that evidently have been removed/deleted/censored. Obviously, a couple may have been in violation of The Patch ''terms of service'' or whatever it is called agreement. That's fine for those. We regulars know the rules and try to ''walk the line'' on cussing, etc. That line is very fuzzy, though. I certainly have seen several comment that are gone that obviously were removed for reasons that are unknown. What ...we can't get harsh back with people we strongly feel have made harsh comments themselves. I am ''ok'' with censorship in extreme circumstances...but those extreme circumstances have not really been seen here. The Patch is fun to participate in when it is real...but not when it is tainted by censorship. When the editor slashes comments only he see fits, then you have a biased product....and it is not a sincere representation of the local sentiments. I want to hear the bad ''and'' the good...not just what is spoon fed me. The amount of deletions I have noticed here is unacceptable. There are 2X as many comments than listed here. I am used to Huffington Press AOL comments being censored unfair by moderators, etc all the time. Especially comments with conservative viewpoints. I realize The Patch is part of Huffington Press, but it is usally void of too much censorship..but not today... not on this topic.
Steve
1:54 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
Man I Hope that manatee was a twin engine, looks like it was hauling an oversized load LOL
Janice M.
5:58 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
So I just want to be sure I understand the laws here. If I run a red light and possibly hit someone, I will receive a ticket, but if I touch or ride a manatee that comes up to me in the water, I am arrested and taken away. Yep, sounds rational to me.
rick barasso
8:33 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
I wonder if after the arrest, the officers stop by subway for a tuna sub?
cage
4:17 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Manatees are indangered. Woman ride a manatee. find out it's illegal. Someone takes a picture.She turns her self in. Police arrest her while she's at work on another day. Why is everyone so upset? I guess the answer is this is a stupid thing to have happen. If we believe it it's insensitive for this woman to have been riding a manatee then should we believe it it's insensitive, for the police to go to her place where she's working to arrest her even after she had turned herself in prior to that arrest? Who ordered her to be arrested at work? That's the person who should be embarrassed because this whole situation is out of control. How insensitive and what a waste of taxpayer money , why didn't they just call her & come down to the station like she did when she turned herself in after the original incident. Sounds really incompetent.
rob89
9:29 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The cops were just making an example out of the situation. Anytime a case goes public like this one there is added pressure by the public for justice and everyone's eyes were on the police department. Had they gone easy on her there would be plenty more people riding manatees and playing the "ignorant" card, I think if it wasn't for bay news 9 they probably wouldn't have pursued this case any further.
CJ
2:57 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
I also think this woman was darn lucky to have had such a sweet experience. You usually have to pay for one of the hundreds of tours advertised and available to do paractically the same thing she did. Pick up any tourist brochure and you will see places advertising for ''manatee experiences''. Yeah...they don't include riding them...but they do include approaching them and observing them. When it comes right down to it...it's odd those activities are so openly done and obviously cherised...yet people want to feak out over what this lady did. Frankly...I'm jealous....I wish I could have doen the same thing. It's a shame the only way we can legally experience many of God's gifts is to pay for them.
Who is WILLIAM BINNEY?
9:28 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Did anybody ask the Manatees what they thought? From what I've seen of the story, the Manatees didn't have any issue with being ridden. If they did, I'd imagine they would have tossed her off like a piece of lint and swam away.
CJ
1:57 am on Friday, November 30, 2012
Mark Twain could not have said it better.
MJL
3:21 am on Thursday, December 6, 2012
Who pays for the State Attorney's Office? You! And this is how you want them to spend their time? Given budget cutbacks, slower response times to 911 calls, criminals and drugs on the streets, I suggest that we focus our attention to more pressing matters. Yes, the woman made a mistake, yes, she did the wrong thing, yes, she will get a fine. I say focus our energy where we can help people make St. Pete a better place to live. Sheesh!
Larry Plants
8:26 am on Wednesday, December 26, 2012
I real don`t think this hurt the Manatee in any way,she should have been fined ,but being arrested was uncalled for,,there are too many real criminals that should be arrested