Overview
- Police stopped a Toyota Supra that hit a concrete barrier on Interstate 10 and blew a tire after reports of reckless driving.
- Officers said they saw signs of possible alcohol impairment, after which the 40-year-old fled on foot and jumped from an elevated section into a nearby swamp where an alligator bit both his arms.
- Law enforcement used drones to track him hours later, hospital staff treated his bite wounds while officers maintained custody, and he was arrested once cleared for booking.
- Jail records list Victor Rivas as the suspect; he faces charges including driving under the influence and resisting arrest and has outstanding warrants for a suspected hit-and-run and negligent driving with bail set at $17,500.
- The incident underscores the immediate danger posed by Louisiana wetlands to people fleeing on foot and shows how police now use drones and hospital custodial procedures to locate and process injured suspects.