Video Of Shark Swimming In Pool Leads To Arrest In The Keys

A Florida man surrendered to authorities after a video of a small nurse shark swimming at the bottom of a pool in Marathon was sent to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Local 10 reported Tuesday (October 13). The video, titled "Little Sand Shark," showed Yansel Garrido, 32, of Callahan, holding a nurse shark that was 24 inches long, according to FWC's report. During the video, an unidentified boy free-dives into the pool, grabs the shark and hands it to Garrido.

It's unclear what the Callahan man did with the shark, according to officials. Authorities also said the pool was filled with chlorinated freshwater. They added that the shark was "extremely sluggish and close to death in the video."

Officials took a look at Garrido's Facebook page, which had multiple photos of illegal acts involving marine sea life. One of the photos featured a Goliath grouper being scaled and cut on a fillet board. Another photo showed undersized lobsters being grilled during a barbecue. "Authorities said all of the photos and video were taken at a rented home on Gulfstream Boulevard in Marathon," Local 10 reported.

Garrido said he was surprised when an FWC investigator reached out him last Friday (October 9) about a warrant for his arrest. “As far as I know, I haven’t done anything wrong,” the Callahan man told investigators. "I’m not going to jail. I have a family to support. I’m not going to jail." He told authorities he found the shark and would do anything to fix the problem. Garrido also claimed he wasn't aware of the Goliath grouper's status as a protected species.

The 32-year-old man surrendered to authorities on Tuesday and faces multiple charges, including violating multiple Florida administrative codes related to reef fish, sharks and rays and spiny lobsters.

Photo: Getty Images