Naked man tells police he broke into random Phoenix home because he was chased by alligator

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A man is facing multiple charges after police say he broke into a random Phoenix home while naked over the weekend, a house occupied by several children. The suspect, 68-year-old Eugene Howard Shelton, reportedly told investigators he did it because an alligator was chasing him.

Around 2 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a reported burglary at a home on Windsor Avenue, near 43rd Avenue and Thomas Road. An officer arrived at the address to find a naked man, later identified as Shelton, lying naked on the driveway with the homeowner standing next to him. According to court documents, Shelton told the officer “alligators were after him” and resisted arrest before he was finally handcuffed.

The homeowner told police that it started when he received a phone call from his children, who said a man had broken into their house. The five children, aged 9 to 17, told police they tried to keep Shelton from coming in, including one who hit the suspect’s hand with an iron, but that he kept pushing on the door until he overpowered them. The father was nearby when his kids called and came home to find the suspect sitting on the couch in the living room, wearing only socks.

After his arrest, police recovered Shelton’s boxers and a fanny pack by the home’s front door. Inside the fanny pack, officers found two blue pills marked M30. Per court documents, Shelton told police that he smoked methamphetamine before thinking an alligator was trying to get him. During the interview with investigators, Shelton reportedly kept asking if dogs were after him and that he took his clothes off because he kept getting bit.

Shelton was booked into the Maricopa County jail on charges including burglary, indecent exposure and resisting arrest. Records show he has a previous criminal record dating back nearly 40 years for other charges, including drug possession, domestic violence threats and disorderly conduct.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.