A Florida man has been arrested after he allegedly stole an alligator and began beating it, to “teach it a lesson.”

The incident occurred on Wednesday in Daytona Beach Shores.

Police say they were called to an area when a witness saw a man attempting to throw an alligator on to the roof of a business. When he failed, the man then reportedly began slamming the animal on the ground and reportedly stomped on it twice.

Authorities arrived to the scene and identified the suspect as 32-year-old William Hodge of Fort Myers.

When authorities asked where he got the alligator, Hodge admitted that he broke into an alligator enclosure at Congo River Golf and stole it.

When asked why he was slamming the animal on the ground, he told police that he was “teaching it a lesson.”

Hodge was taken into custody and is now facing animal cruelty, burglary, and possession and injury of an alligator charges.

The alligator has since been returned to Congo River Golf.