Headless alligator spotted in Florida along Volusia County road

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Drivers in Volusia County made a disturbing discovery Friday after spotting a headless alligator on the side of the road.

"It was really sad to see, honestly," Ashauntai Johnson said.

She was driving along Air Park Road, just south of Massey Ranch Airport, when she noticed the dead gator missing its head.

"My first thought was that the cows probably stomped it to death because there's always cows over there, but I was like, I have no idea how the head could have gone missing," she said.

A headless alligator was discovered alongside a Florida highway.

A closer look at the gator points to possible evidence a crime may have been committed.

"I saw that the head was quite clean cut off, and that's what was surprising," Johnson said.

Alligators are a protected species in Florida, and killing them is illegal. 

Earlier this week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) arrested two men in Manatee County, accused of killing a six-foot gator. They're facing a third-degree felony and up to five years in prison if convicted.

Only a state-certified trapper is allowed to kill a gator outside of hunting season if it's deemed a threat. 

And while the circumstances regarding the death of the alligator spotted in Volusia County remain unclear, there's no doubt its discovery was disturbing to many. 

"I think they're gorgeous creatures, so I was just really, really devastated and sad to see that somebody could do that to such a beautiful creature, especially something that's so big to Florida's wildlife," Johnson said.

FOX 35 reached out to FWC to find out whether the agency is investigating but has not yet received a response.