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Negligence lawsuit filed related to fatal Englewood alligator attack

Reporter: Elizabeth Biro Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
Alligator
Alligator. CBS file photo

A lawsuit has been filed following an alligator attack that killed an 80-year-old woman in Englewood, near her Boca Royale home.

While Rose Wiegand was pulling weeds near a seawall in July of 2022, a pair of alligators attacked, dragging her into the water and killing her.

“Several years ago, we had alligators that we saw that used to come up on the bay,” said Helga Jehle, a neighbor in the Boca Royale community.

It wasn’t until September that permits from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were put up to remove the reptiles from the area.

“I can say I’ve had an alligator right at my front door. I’ve had an alligator right in my backyard,” said Catherine Anderson, another neighbor in the Boca Royale community.

In late February, the victim’s daughter, Kristin Domain, filed a lawsuit suing the home owners association for negligence in controlling the animals.

WINK News spoke with Ryan Fogg, the family’s lawyer, who explained that because of that negligence, it was only a matter of time.

“We have meeting minutes from the board and there was discussion about putting up warning signs and those were shot down by the community by the association,” said Fogg.

The signs in the community, which the family believes would have prevented the tragedy, are long overdue.

Boca Royale Golf Property Owners Association, Neal Communities and several related entities have been named as defendants in the lawsuit filed by Domain.

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