Darby drug bust yields heroin, pit bull ... and an alligator

Darby Borough police were expecting to find narcotics this morning when they busted a suspected heroin operation inside a Main Street house. What they didn't expect was the alligator. But that's what they found, because this is Delaware County – where routine crime stories go to get weird.

"Oh my God, he's cute. The poor thing," said Council President Janice Davis, clearly straying off message as she walked into a police press conference. "His name is 'Darby.'"

Police made two arrests today, and two arrests in September in connection with the drug house, where they confiscated heroin, 1,000 empty heroin bags and other packaging material, a 12-gauge shotgun, $1,800, and stamps that dealers use to label their dope: "Lights Out," "First Stop," "Infiniti" and "Burberry."

One of the men arrested, Alfred McIntyre, 25, is affiliated with an at-risk youth program that wanted to hold a dance at Darby's recreation center, police said. Chief Bob Smythe said he's concerned that the program might have been getting teens hooked on drugs or using them as part of the drug-dealing operation, but they have no evidence of that yet.

The alligator is only about 2 1/2-feet long, but can grow to 14 feet and 600 pounds or more. Smythe said police have contacted the Philadelphia Zoo to figure out what to do with it.

"Only in Darby," Smythe said.

Last year, cops thew a neighborhood block-party after a big drug bust in Darby. Reason I mention that is because BBQ alligator supposedly ain't bad.

Sorry, Janice.