Trappers will be heading out to a Coral Gables canal Tuesday morning to try to capture a 9-foot crocodile that bit two people over the weekend.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said they'll be at the canal in the 1400 street of Coruna Street to search for the croc, known as "Poncho."
A second crocodile was also spotted in the area Tuesday.
Officials believe Poncho was behind the Sunday morning attack on 26-year-old Alejandro Jimenez, who was bitten while swimming in the brackish water around 2:30 a.m. Jimenez was taken to South Miami Hospital with lacerations to his arm, shoulder and back.
A second swimmer, Lissett Rendon, was also bitten but suffered only minor injuries.
FWC spokesman Jorge Pino said it's the first reported crocodile attack in the United States.
Poncho is believed to be between 8 and 9 feet long and weighs about 350 pounds. Officials say they want to capture the croc or crocs and relocate them because the reptiles are protected in Florida.
Neighbors say he's been living in the canal area for about the past 10 years.
"I think all of this trying to relocate is really not the way to go, the way to go is to modify human behavior so we don’t get in the crocs' way," said Elizabeth Bustin, who has lived on the street for 22 years.
Signs are posted throughout the neighborhood warning residents to beware of crocodiles and cautioning them against swimming.
