Wrestling a Burmese python wasn't exactly what 23-year-old Jason Leon planned when he visited the Everglades with his buddies last week. He was riding ATVs near Florida City when they saw a sight they'll never forget.

"We were riding and I saw something poking out on the side of the road. At first I didn't know what it was," said Veronica Larios, who accompanied Leon to the Everglades.

"I've hunted and fished all over and seen plenty of reptiles and alligators. I've never seen something that big," said Blake Jordan, who went along for the ride.

In the video, recorded by Jordan, you can see Leon handling the snake, grabbing it by it's neck. Larios, a woman with a petite frame jumps in, handing Leon a knife and helping him move the snake's body as it tried to coil around her friend.

"For about 10 minutes, he was wrapping around my legs, around my arms. I was switching arms, and finally. We finally pulled him apart, stretched him out, and took a knife and cut his head."

Leon has handled snakes before. He owned two as pets. Though he's tried, he's never hunted the invasive species successfully.

"I knew that it was a big snake and I've never seen it in the wild. I knew it didn't belong there. I knew they had to be removed so I grabbed it."

He never imagined his catch would be record-breaking big. After contacting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee, Leon says wildlife authorities confirmed the snake he caught is the largest on record. He received an email congratulating him on his catch. Leon says the snake is 18 feet by 8 inches long. That's more than three times his height. The previous record-holder is a snake that measured in at 17 feet and 7 inches.

He will get to keep the snake skin and skull, trophies of his hunt. He also gets bragging rights. Leon says he's particularly proud of Larios.

"Like 90 percent of my guy friends would have stood back and said, 'Nuh-uh! Not doing it,'" Leon says.

Python hunting should be left to the pros. Leon himself says the lieutenant with Miami Fire Rescue's Venom One told him what he did was risky.

"Not a really smart idea at all to do it. The snake being so big, he said I should have had at least 4 or 5 other males there, because the strength of the snake," Leon says.

No one was injured. Leon says the snake is currently at the University of Florida. A necropsy will be performed so that researchers can learn more about the invasive species.
 

A Miami man is hoping to find a home for an injured peacock that recently appeared in his backyard.

The peacock is missing a foot and going thorough mobility problems, according to Don Daniels from Miami.

“We have not been cutting the grass in our backyard because we're afraid of hurting or distressing him,” Daniels said.

Daniels is afraid the peacock will get hurt by his cat, which generally targets smaller birds, or by the raccoons, who sometimes roam the neighborhood.

RELATED: Police Say Man Sexually Abused His Peacock

“We want him to have somewhere to hide,” he said.

Daniels reached out to his veterinarian, who referred him to a company that will relocate the peacock for $289.

But Daniels said he cannot afford the relocation fees.

Daniels asked the public to email him at d_donald@comcast.net if they want to help relocate the peacock.
 

More Local Stories:

• Man Arrested for Hollywood Homicide
• Charges Dropped Against 2 Men Who Burst Into Brother's Murder Crime Scene in Overtown
• Woman Arrested for Biting Another Woman's Ear: Cops

A woman was arrested after biting off part of another woman's ear during a fist fight in Gainesville.

Fredeisha Leanna Keyanna Perryman, 21, was punching the other woman in her face and all over her body on Tuesday, the arrest report said.

While fighting, Perryman bit off a piece of the other woman’s right ear, leaving her bleeding, the report said.

To defend herself, the victim picked up a brick and Perryman fled to a nearby apartment, according to the report.

When the officer arrived, the woman was still bleeding and was treated on the scene.

Two witnesses and the victim identified Perryman. She told the officer she had been involved in a physical fight, the report said.

According to an Alachua County Jail official, Perryman was released Wednesday on a $10,000 bond.
 

More Local Stories:

• Tanker Collides with Semi-Truck in Port Everglades: Broward Sheriff's Fire Rescue
• Gov. Rick Scott Rejects Deal to Bring Internet Retailer Amazon to Florida
• FBI Investigates $625,000 Gold Heist at Miami International Airport

A man who was covered in gas was arrested after setting a car ablaze, officials said.

Oscar Tejada, 29, smelled strongly of gasoline when he was arrested for arson in Golden Gate Tuesday, according to the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

When a deputy arrived to the scene of a car fire, he noticed a truck, with the lights on, leaving the scene, a Collier County Sheriff's Office report said.

Man Arrested for Setting His Hospital Bed on Fire: Police

“After confirming that no one was inside the burning vehicle, the deputy attempted to locate the truck,” the report said.

But when the deputy spotted the truck, Tejada sped off, according to the report. The deputy turned on his emergency lights and was later able to stop Tejada.

The deputy found a gas can in the truck bed and a lighter and package for gloves inside the truck.

“Tejada told the deputy he spilled gas on himself while putting it in the gas can in the bed of the truck,” the report said.

Mom Can Only Watch as Husband, 4 Kids Die in Fire

In Tejada’s pockets, deputies found receipts for the gas can, lighter and gloves and $4,100 cash.

Tejada was charged with arson and driving with a suspended license. He is being held on a $70,000 bond. It wasn’t immediately known if he had an attorney.
 

More Local Stories:

• Jacksonville Highway Closes After Beer Cans Spill Onto Roadway
• Cyclist in Critical Condition After Lauderhill Crash: Cops
• FBI Investigates $625,000 Gold Heist at Miami International Airport

Police responding to a noise complaint in Baraboo, Wis., found that the loud noises were actually the loud sounds of frogs fornicating.

It was the second time this month that a neighbor called police to complain about "loud music" coming from Debbie and Jeff Alsip's backyard, Baraboo's News Republic reported.

"Every spring, this happens," Debbi Alsip told the News Republic. "It has woke us up before, if we have our windows open."

Officer Mike Pichler told the News Republic that when he arrived he found about a dozen frogs in the Alsip's backyard koi pond mating and emitting their loud, shrill mating calls.

The paper reported the Alsips have had the pond since 1994 and that each spring female frogs lay their eggs in the area outside Madison and look for Mr. Right.

A man looking for a prostitute during his honeymoon and a youth minister expecting to have sex with a 14-year-old girl were among 92 people arrested in a Polk County Sheriff's Office undercover prostitution investigation.

The four-day undercover investigation targeted prostitution websites on which men and women advertising prostitution or soliciting prostitution, the sheriff’s office said.

Mohammed Ahmed, originally from Illinois, was on his honeymoon when he answered to an ad from an undercover detective posing as a prostitute, authorities said.

3 of 5 Women Arrested in Massage Parlor Busts Face Prostitution Charges: Broward Sheriff's Office

When the 21-year-old did not return to the hotel, his wife reported him missing, the sheriff's office said. His wife was later notified that he had been charged with prostitution and possession of marijuana.

Samuel Yoon, a youth minister at the Holy Cows youth ministry, New Community Mission Church in San Leandro, Calif., was in Orlando for a youth conference when he responded to an ad posted by an undercover detective offering women for sale, authorities said.

Yoon, 45, was expecting to meet a 14-year-old girl, the sheriff's office said. He now faces including traveling to meet a minor and using a two-way communication device to commit a felony.

Two of those arrested were from South Florida, including Julenny Aquino, 19, of Miami Gardens, who showed up at an undercover location to commit prostitution, deputies said.

Gerald Atilus, 40, of Homestead answered an ad posted by an undercover detective who was posing as a prostitute, and he was charged with battery, deputies said.

No one answered the door at Atilus' home when NBC 6 went there on Tuesday.

Man May Be Serial Rapist with Unreported Crimes, Officials Looking for Possible Rape Victims: BSO

Michael Kempfer, from Orlando, was arrested after he brought a 15-year-old girl as a prostitute to the undercover location, authorities said.

Others arrested included 12 “pimps” who brought prostitutes to the undercover location, 39 prostitutes, 39 people who were willing to pay for sex from prostitutes and two others who went with suspects to the undercover location and were arrested on other charges, the sheriff’s office said.

The investigation took place from May 8 through May 11. Among the charges filed are aiding and abetting prostitution, deriving proceeds from prostitution, possession of illegal drugs and resisting an arrest.

Ahmed and Yoon were released from jail, while Kempfer remained in jail Tuesday on a $2,250 bond. It wasn’t immediately known if they, Aquino, Atilus or Kempfer had attorneys.
 

More Local Stories:

• Dependency Hearing for Miami Beach Boy Tied to Pole By Father
• Panthers Will Ask Broward for $4.2 Million Scoreboard
• Man Scheduled to Die June 24 for Killing Women in Florida

A North Miami mayoral candidate who said she secured an endorsement from on high finished far back in Tuesday's election.

The top two vote-getters, Kevin Burns and Lucie Tondreau, advanced to a June 4 runoff for mayor, city spokesperson Pam Solomon said. Former mayor Burns received 2,254 votes (33.2 percent) in Tuesday's election, while Tondreau had 1,870 votes (27.6 percent), according to unofficial Miami-Dade Elections Department results.

Anna Pierre, a registered nurse who claimed she was being endorsed by Jesus Christ, finished last among the seven candidates with 56 votes, or just 0.83 percent.

"Yes, Jesus endorsed me!" Pierre said during a stop at the Gwen Margolis Community Center Tuesday morning as the polls opened. "I'm not nuts, if I'm a freak and nuts for Jesus, let it be! Let the world know that Jesus is it and when you have Jesus on your side you can go on."

See what Pierre said Wednesday after she lost.

Pierre previously claimed she was being intimidated with voodoo tactics.

The Jesus claim was made on a campaign flyer posted to Pierre's Facebook page that reads "Anna Pierre, RN, is endorsed by Jesus Christ" and features a photo of the savior.

Pierre said the endorsement came to her in a revelation while on the campaign trail as she's been competing against six other candidates.

"I don't know about if he likes me more, but what I can tell you, I know he loves me very much," Pierre said. "If it wasn't for the love of Jesus I wouldn't be standing here today."

Smith Joseph was third in the mayoral race with 1,561 votes and 23 percent of the field, followed by Gwendolyn "Gwen" Boyd (555 votes, 8.2 percent), Jean Rodrigue Marcellus (374 votes, 5.5 percent), and Modira Escarment (116 votes, 1.7 percent) in sixth place.

North Miami Mayor Exploited Position to Use Soccer Fields for Free: Ethics Commission

North Miami's election also did not produce winners in its two City Council races, as no one earned the 50 percent plus one votes needed for victory, Solomon said.

As a result, Carol Keys and Mary Irvin will compete in a runoff for the District 2 seat on June 4, with one of them to replace Councilman Michael Blynn, who finished third on Tuesday. In District 3, Philippe Bien-Aime and Jacques Despinosse will go head to head.

In another South Florida municipal election on Tuesday, Isolina Marono defeated Deborah Centeno to win the Group 4 seat on the Sweetwater City Commission. Marono received 1,065 votes while Centeno had 406, according to unofficial results.

Marono, the mother of Mayor Manny Marono, was appointed on an interim basis last year to fill the seat left vacant by the late Vice Mayor Ariel Abelairas, The Miami Herald reported. Her victory for a four-year term Tuesday came in the only contested election in Sweetwater, as commissioners Orlando Lopez (Group 1), Jose Bergouignan (Group 2) and Jose Diaz (Group 3) retained their seats without opposition.

The failed Sun Life Stadium referendum also received some attention Tuesday, as the Miami-Dade Elections Department released a partial tabulation of early voting and absentee ballots that were cast on the stadium renovation proposal, as well as Election Day ballots on it from North Miami and Sweetwater.

Fifty-seven percent or 34,780 voters said they were against the proposal, while 43 percent, or 25,898 voters, were for it.

Salaries of South Florida Mayors

Last month in North Miami, Pierre, a Haitian native who recorded a hit pop song before coming to America, claimed someone had placed voodoo artifacts outside the door of her campaign office.

The items included candles, food and dolls with pins stuck in them, said Pierre, who believes one of her opponents may have been behind the intimidation.

"The voodoo stuff, I don't know who's doing it, but I'm not afraid," she said at the time. "It's just intimidation to ... slow me down. But you know what? I'm not going to slow down until the finish line."

Voters Tuesday remained slightly skeptical of the Jesus endorsement.

"Well, I thought 'I wonder if I ought to vote for this person to maintain the cosmic balance,'" Grover Rawlings said. "I mean, I want to stay on the good side, it's a pretty powerful endorsement if it's true."

Others took the self-proclaimed revelation sincerely.

"Well, like I said, I'm Christian and if she believes it, I've never heard it before, but you know, she could've been," Ann Simpson said.

Burns didn't have much to say about Pierre's Jesus claim.

"I can't even touch that one," he said.

Click here for City of North Miami Elections Department

More Local Stories:

• Puppy Recovering After Latest Surgery for Hole in Mouth
• Ducks Disappearing From Cooper City Neighborhood
• Springtime Hubbub Over Christmas Display in Plantation

A man was arrested after setting his hospital bed ablaze, Hollywood Police said Monday.

Joel Basenburg faces arson charges after lighting up his bed at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood.

Woman Sets Car on Fire at Daytona Beach Gas Station, Claims to Be God: Cops

Police arrived at the hospital Sunday after getting reports of a burning odor coming from Basenburg’s room.

When police entered the room they saw the fire, which was caused by a small, handheld lighter, the arrest report said.

Firefighter Taken to Hospital With Back Injury After Lauderhill House Fire: Authorities

Basenburg had been transported to the hospital in reference to the Marchman Act, authorities said.

Click here for more information on the act.

Hospital surveillance cameras proved that Basenburg was responsible for the fire.

He is being held in Broward County Jail on a $10,000 bond. It wasn’t immediately known if he had an attorney.
 

More Local Stories:

• Man Arrested for February Hit-and-Run that Killed Bicyclist
• Miami Man Captured and Killed Sea Turtle: FWC
• Two Men Arrested for Shoplifting Items That Could Be Used to Make Explosive Device: Police

Two men were arrested for shoplifting items from Walmart that could be used to make an explosive device, Gainesville Police Department said.

On May 7, police interviewed Mason Scott Beuning, 18, for shoplifting BBs, flare guns and other items from a Walmart Supercenter with 18-year-old Wolfe O'Meara, authorities said. Beuning told them he had already made an explosive device or a “homemade firework” but had been scared to detonate it, police said.

Bomb Disposal Team members went to his house and found a cardboard tube containing an black, explosive powder, police said. 

"The tube was sealed at both ends and contained a fuse," police said in a statement.

The device was taken for further analysis.

Beuning faces charges including  possessing a destructive device, which is a third-degree felony, police said.

O’Meara, who was with Beuning, faces charges with misdemeanor shoplifting and possession of drug paraphernalia, authorities said.

“In the wake of recent national tragedies, the Gainesville Police Department is taking no chance when it comes to explosives” Police Chief Tony Jones said in a statement.

Beuning remained in jail Monday on a $45,000 bond, while O'Meara had been released on his own recognizance, a jail official said.

It wasn't immediately known if they had attorneys.

 More Local Stories:

• Miami Beach Man Tied Wandering 12-Year-Old Son to Pole Outside Home: Police
• Winter Park Sign Tells Drivers to “Smoke Weed”
• Elderly Mother Goes Missing on Mother's Day: BSO

A Miami Beach father is facing an aggravated child abuse charge after he tied his 12-year-old son to a pole and left him for hours while he went shopping, police said.

Adolfo Guzman, 49, was arrested Sunday, according to a Miami Beach Police report released Monday.

A public defender was appointed for Guzman during a court hearing Monday where he was ordered held on $50,000 bond and ordered to have no contact with his son.

Guzman had been concerned when his son disappeared for a few hours the day before and "warned him he would tie him up if he continued to wander off," the report said.

The boy told NBC 6 that he didn't listen to his father, and didn't tell him he was at a friend's house Sunday.

“I was feeling bad because it all was my fault. He's innocent, so it's all my fault," the son said.

Alligator Shows Up on Parkland Family's Front Porch

Police said that after the son disappeared again without permission and returned home, Guzman used a bicycle cable wire lock and tied him to a concrete pole outside the family's home.

Guzman left to go shopping and didn't come back for a couple hours, the report said. In the meantime, witnesses flagged down police officers and told them about the tied-up child, the report said.

Miami Beach Police spokesman Sgt. Bobby Hernandez said the boy was found by a group of Jehovah's Witnesses tied up around his ankle to a laundry pole (pictured below) in a common area of an apartment building.

UM Student Killed in Car Crash Days After Graduation

The boy complained of pain caused by the cable and the officers requested the Miami Beach Fire Department cut him loose.

When Guzman returned home around 1:30 p.m., he was arrested and later admitted to tying his son up, the report said.

A Department of Children and Families spokesperson said they have no history with the family and the child is now with a relative.

"I've never seen this before," Hernandez said. "You shouldn't even be chaining a dog up to a pole much less your own son."

More Local Stories:

• Elderly Mother Goes Missing on Mother's Day: BSO
• Man Shot During Robbery Outside Allapattah Laundromat
• Hot Air Balloon Lands in Palm Beach Family's Backyard

Billions of bite-sized snacks are about to appear in backyards across the Northeast.

After nearly two decades living under the earth, cicadas are about to shake off the dirt and invade our great outdoors. And they’ll be ripe for feasting, says Isa Betancourt, an entomologist from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

“It’s a delicacy that’s rare,” says Betancourt, who’s known to dine on a few bugs from time to time. She calls cicadas "the shrimp of the land.”

“They are arthropods, which means they have an exoskeleton,” she said. “We regularly eat the arthropods of the sea and those are the shrimp, lobsters and crabs. And so cicadas are arthropods too.”

The Magicicada, as this type of cicada is named, spend 17 years underground snacking on the roots of plants, trees and vegetables. Now they’re coming above ground to shed their skin and mate.

Like other edible insects, cicadas are nutritious, according to Betancourt. She says their bodies are high in protein, low in fat and feature a lot of muscle.

Betancourt suggests trying to grab the magicadas when they’re fresh from the ground and undergoing their molting stage, which consists of shedding their skin as they prepare to fly away to find a mate.

“That’s when they’re softest,” she said. “When they first emerge, they’ll be kind of a green color and after a few hours they’ll harden.”

The scientist says you’ll most likely find the soft cicadas in the morning hours. She says you can still eat them once they harden, but you should expect a little extra crunch. You’ll also want to pull off the wings, because, like corn kernels, they can get stuck in your teeth.

There are a couple dozen recipes for how to specifically prepare cicadas. Betancourt is planning on taking an old shrimp skewer dish that her grandmother has made for ages and substituting in the insect. She also suggests boiling your insects first to quickly kill and clean them.

Online you can learn how to make Cicada-Portobello Quiche or a German Chocolate Cicada Cake – complete with a coconut-pecan frosting.

Cicada-Licious, a cicada cookbook (yes, this exists), has a number of other interesting ideas. The book was penned by University of Maryland entomology professor Mike Raupp and a group of students named the Cicadamaniacs. They put the book together when a brood, or group, of magicadas made their appearance around Maryland in 2004.

“I’ve had them several different ways and frankly, I’ve enjoyed them every way I’ve eaten them,” he said.

Raupp has been studying, teaching about, and feasting on cicadas for years. The insect ecologist is now working on a Discovery Channel special about the magicadas. He says as for how they taste, it really depends on how the insect is prepared.

“Boiled they’re going to taste a lot like shrimp. If you eat them au naturel, raw, they’ve got a delicate nutty flavor; a buttery texture,” he said. “I like the soft-shelled ones.”

Both entogastronomists -- what insect eaters are called -- warn those with food allergies, specifically those who are allergic to shellfish, should consult their doctor before eating cicadas. Betancourt says you should also avoid binging on cicadas that have been living in areas where a lot of pesticides have been used.

While eating insects is taboo in the United States and other Western cultures, that’s not the case for the rest of the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates 2.5 billion people, mostly in Africa, include insects in the regular diet. Raupp says in some parts of the world, bugs make up as much as 20-percent of some culture’s diets.

For the squeamish, Raupp says he has a land and sea analogy he likes to use.

“Have you ever eaten an oyster or a clam out of the bay? It lives on the bottom of the bay and filters, you know what (feces),” he said. “You’d eat this thing, but would not eat this delectable insect that’s been sucking on plant fat for 17 years? I think it’s weird.”

Betancourt is more pragmatic, offering this piece of advice for the cicada-eating virgins: “Close your eyes when you’re taking the bite.”

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

A sign used to warn motorists of traffic and road closures was instead used to advise them to "Smoke weed erryday" Sunday in Winter Park.

The sign was spotted in the area of Minnesota Avenue and Clay Street, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The obviously hacked sign drew a lot of attention, some people even stopped to take pictures, the report said.

Another sign a few blocks away that read "Jackson Ave closed to thru traffic," drew less attention.

A few years ago, a traffic sign on the Palmetto Expressway in northwest Miami-Dade was hacked to read "No Latinos No Tacos."
 

More Local Stories:

• Man Shot During Robbery Outside Allapattah Laundromat
• Hot Air Balloon Lands in Palm Beach Family's Backyard
• Alligator Shows Up on Parkland Family's Front Porch

A man from northwest suburban Roselle, in DuPage County, faces a charge of misdemeanor animal cruelty after police said he sexually abused his pet peacock.

David Beckman, 64, of the 600 block of East Devon Avenue, was charged with the crime after police learned the bird died while they were investigating Beckman about an alleged case of indecent solicitation of a child.

Details surrounding the case with the peacock, reportedly named Phyl, were unclear Friday, as investigators said it was part of the case involving the child, the Daily Herald reported.

Court records confirmed Beckman faces three charges of harassment by telephone, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of marijuana possession, attempted indecent solicitation of a child, cruelty to animals, and two counts of battery.

He remained in the DuPage County Jail on Friday on a $10,000 bond. An arraignment was scheduled for June 12.
 
More Local Stories from NBC Chicago:

• Police: Woman Arrested on Suspicion of DUI was Celebrating End of Previous DUI
• Tallest Building Title Pits Willis vs. WTC
• Dennis Rodman Says He's Doing Obama's Job 

Billions of bite-sized snacks are about to appear in your backyard.

After nearly two decades living under the earth, cicadas are about to shake off the dirt and invade our great outdoors. And they’ll be ripe for your feasting says Isa Betancourt, an entomologist from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

“It’s a delicacy that’s rare,” says Betancourt, who’s known to dine on a few bugs from time to time. She calls cicadas "the shrimp of the land.”

“They are arthropods, which means they have an exoskeleton,” she said. “We regularly eat the arthropods of the sea and those are the shrimp, lobsters and crabs. And so cicadas are arthropods too.”

The Magicicada, as this type of cicada is named, spend 17 years underground snacking on the roots of plants, trees and vegetables. Now they’re coming above ground to shed their skin and mate.

Like other edible insects, cicadas are nutritious, according to Betancourt. She says their bodies are high in protein, low in fat and feature a lot of muscle.

Betancourt suggests trying to grab the magicadas when they’re fresh from the ground and undergoing their molting stage, which consists of shedding their skin as they prepare to fly away to find a mate.

“That’s when they’re softest,” she said. “When they first emerge, they’ll be kind of a green color and after a few hours they’ll harden.”

The scientist says you’ll most likely find the soft cicadas in the morning hours. She says you can still eat them once they harden, but you should expect a little extra crunch. You’ll also want to pull off the wings, because, like corn kernels, they can get stuck in your teeth.

There are a couple dozen recipes for how to specifically prepare cicadas. Betancourt is planning on taking an old shrimp skewer dish, her grandmother has made for ages, and substitute in the insect. She also suggests boiling your insects first to quickly kill and clean them.

Online you can learn how to make Cicada-Portobello Quiche or a German Chocolate Cicada Cake – complete with a coconut-pecan frosting.

Cicada-Licious, a cicada cookbook (yes, this exists), has a number of other interesting ideas. The book was penned by University of Maryland entomology professor Mike Raupp and a group of students named the Cicadamaniacs. They put the book together when a brood, or group, of magicadas made their appearance around Maryland in 2004.

“I’ve had them several different ways and frankly, I’ve enjoyed them every way I’ve eaten them,” he said.

Raupp has been studying, teaching about, and feasting on cicadas for years. The insect ecologist is now working on a Discovery Channel special about the magicadas. He says as for how they taste, it really depends on how the insect is prepared.

“Boiled they’re going to taste a lot like shrimp. If you eat them au naturel, raw, they’ve got a delicate nutty flavor; a buttery texture,” he said. “I like the soft-shelled ones.”

Both entogastronomists -- what insect eaters are called -- warn those with food allergies, specifically those who are allergic to shellfish, should consult their doctor before eating cicadas. Betancourt says you should also avoid binging on cicadas that have been living in areas where a lot of pesticides have been used.

While eating insects is taboo in the United States and other Western cultures, that’s not the case for the rest of the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates 2.5 billion people, mostly in Africa, include insects in the regular diet. Raupp says in some parts of the world, bugs make up as much as 20-percent of some culture’s diets.

For the squeamish, Raupp says he has a land and sea analogy he likes to use.

“Have you ever eaten an oyster or a clam out of the bay? It lives on the bottom of the bay and filters, you know what (feces),” he said. “You’d eat this thing, but would not eat this delectable insect that’s been sucking on plant fat for 17 years? I think it’s weird.”

Betancourt is more pragmatic, offering this piece of advice for the cicada-eating virgins: “Close your eyes when you’re taking the bite.”

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

Ever wanted to leave planet Earth behind for a one-way ticket to Mars? Here is your chance to apply for a mission that claims to make it possible.

More than 78,000 people have signed up for Mars One, a Dutch company’s project that aims to put four people on the Red Planet every two years, starting in April 2023.

Among those who applied to leave Earth behind forever are a self-described spacecraft engineer from MIT and an award-winning author of science fiction.

“Going to Mars would make me feel like I am a true 'Star Trek' officer,” said Michael Archavian, one of the many applicants who works as a repairman.

He said that if selected he would "do a lot of exploring, see the sites, stay up at night to see the dual moons.”

The project aims to be funded by a media event fashioned after a reality show and even “Big Brother” co-creator Paul Rome is on board. If it all sounds too good to be true, the company is also being backed by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Gerard’t Hooft.

"My first impression was that this is an extraordinary project by people with vision, imagination," Hooft said in a Mars One promotional video. "But my first reaction was I think like anyone who would be confronted by such an idea: this will never work."

Colonists would stay on the red planet for the rest of their lives, eliminating the challenge of returning them to Earth.

The Mars One project has already garnered applicants from over 120 countries -- all within two weeks of its 19-week application period. Most applicants are from the U.S. (17,324), followed by China (10,241) and the U.K. (3,581). Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Argentina and India also boasted a high number of applicants.

“This is turning out to be the most desired job in history,” said Bas Lansdorp, Mars One co-founder and CEO in a press statement. “These numbers put us right on track for our goal of half a million applicants.”

The application process forces would-be Mars pioneers to reflect on their life's purpose on Earth. They are required to explain their motivation to go to Mars in a one-minute video, some of which have been posted on YouTube. The application process extends until August 31 and charges a fee from $5 to $75, depending on the country.

For Andrew Rader, who has a PhD in aeronautical engineering from MIT and specialized in long duration human spaceflight, going to Mars is “the next great leap for humanity.”

“In the history of exploration, people have gone through a lot worse for a lot less,” Rader wrote in an e-mail. “I don't see a one-way mission to Mars as being fundamentally different from leaving England in 1790 to travel to Australia for six months on a rickety old sailing ship, facing dangers of storms, pirates, and shipwrecks, never to return or see your family again - and at least in this case, the food and communication with family will be better.”

American scientist and award-winning science fiction author David Brin explained that the mission’s purpose is to “promote thought, discussion and flat-out fun.” An applicant himself, Brin said he would “fight like hell to survive” and gather scientific data to help the next generation of colonists.

“And I'd write, using words to capture as much of the experience -- the Martian desolation in all of its stark beauty and promise - as possible,” he added.

While the idea of migrating to a whole new planet might scare some people, Francisco Jauregui from Mexico believes that Mars One is a mission he is “willing to die for.”

“My curiosity is way bigger than my fears,” said the 32-year-old, who currently works for a plastic containers factory. “Exploration is in human nature.”

Ashley Owl, a 21-year-old Cuban-American in Miami who volunteers at a hospital there, admitted that watching too many science fiction movies and TV shows had “desensitized” her to fear. “It just makes me to want to explore even more,” she said.

The announcement of the Mars One application flood came during an important week for Mars exploration enthusiasts. NASA officials, and various scientists and engineers met for the Humans 2 Mars summit in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. And famed Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin this week released his book “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration,” which was co-authored with veteran space reporter Leonard David. 

A man was attacked by an alligator as he fled Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies early Thursday during a routine traffic stop, authorities said.

Bryan Zuniga, 20, was attacked near a water treatment plant after he fled the traffic stop at 2:47 a.m., authorities said.

He had been pulled over for failing to maintain a single lane, the sheriff's office said.

Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputy Wrestled Alligator, Tied It Up: Report

He stopped the car and jumped out of the passenger side door, and as he fled, he kicked a vinyl fence, made a hole and escaped, authorities said.

A few hours later, he was found at a local hospital and was being treated for puncture wounds to his face, arm, and armpit area, the sheriff's office said. He told authorities about the gator attack.

After he was arrested at the hospital at noon and was taken to the Pinellas County Jail. He faces charges including breaking and injuring fences, fleeing and eluding a police officer, driving while driver's suspended/revoked and resisting an officer without violence.

VIDEO: Boy Survives Gator Attack With Only Cuts and Bruises

It wasn't known why he fled, and whether he had an attorney. 

More Local Stories:

• Man Robs Satellite Beach Credit Union to Pay for Disney Cruise: Report
• Kitten Saved From Wall Being Stuck for Days
• Puppy Survives Weeks Locked in Car

A woman was arrested after she threw an 8 inch kitchen knife at her boyfriend when he farted in her face while they were watching TV, according to authorities.

Deborah Ann Burns, 37, told detectives she became angry the incident occurred and the two began arguing, the arrest report said.

She caused minor wounds on her 6-year boyfriend, who told Burns to shut up, which began the argument that ended up in the kitchen, the report said.

Man Cuts Wife’s Neck Repeatedly with Bread Knife: Police

After throwing the knife, Burns ran out of the house. She returned shortly after and knocked on the door.

Her 53-year-old boyfriend stepped out of the house to talk to Burns and the two began arguing again.

The fight escalated and Burns hit her boyfriend in the arm with a stick causing additional wounds, the report said.

Man Arrested for Threatening People, Including Deputy, With Knife

After hitting him, she left the house again but was later found by deputies, the report said.

Burns told deputies that her boyfriend chased her though the house and wielded the knife in attempts to strike her but missed, the report said.

The boyfriend argued that it was Burns who threw the knife at his stomach.

Burns faces a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, the report said. She is being held at the Naples Jail Center on a $50,000 bond. It wasn’t immediately known if she had an attorney.
 

More Local Stories:

• 2 Children, 6 Adults Hospitalized in Separate Crashes in Pompano Beach
• South Florida Super Bowl Bid Committee to Unveil Details of Final Bid
• Willie Barney, Teen Convicted in Off-Duty Miami-Dade Cop Shooting, Getting New Trial
  

A man was arrested after throwing eggs at employees of the Federal Courthouse in Fort Pierce, authorities said.

Richard Eugene Brown, 64, was taking into custody by a U.S. Marshal and turned over to police after a woman accused him of throwing various eggs at her, a police report obtained by TC Palm said.

The woman said she had been cleaning the Courthouse’s entrance when Brown began throwing eggs at her back on April 18. She took the officer to where the eggs were thrown and the officer observed several smashed eggs, according to the report.

Another court Marshall said that Brown had been to the courthouse on the previous day causing a scene, the report said.

Brown was told to leave the courthouse and was warned not to return. Instead, he returned the next day to throw eggs at the employees, according to the report.
 

More Local Stories:

• A Look at Bike Thefts in South Florida
• Miami-Dade Prosecutor Arrested for Leaving Crash Scene
• Willie Barney, Teen Convicted in Off-Duty Miami-Dade Cop Shooting, Getting New Trial

A man was arrested after he repeatedly fled from police during traffic stops and hid in his trunk until he was finally found, authorities said.

On Sunday, Maximilian Andrew Schroeder, 28, had police confused after the car they stopped appeared to be empty, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

The first time, a Highland Beach Police officer stopped the red Mitsubishi because it was going 57 mph in a 35 mph zone, the report said.

Riviera Beach Man Shot With Taser While Trying to Escape Police Custody Hit Head After Fall From Fence, on Life Support: Report

When the officer came to check on the car, there appeared to be no one inside. Police checked the area but didn’t find anyone.

Schroeder took off again, but he was found in a nearby parking lot. He fled in the car again and an an officer pursued. Then Schroeder stopped and hid in the trunk for a second time.

When police approached the car, again, they couldn’t find anyone, according to the report.

Police searched the area, but were unable to find the person responsible.

Man Chased By Police Down Ocean Drive Found With Drugs: Cops

Then the car took off again and parked in the middle of the parking lot, the report said.

Officers went up to the car and again, it was empty.

Finally, two officers saw something moving and found Schroeder hiding in the trunk of his car, according to the report.

He was taken out of the trunk and arrested. Schroeder faces charges of fleeing and marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession. He was released from the Palm Beach County Jail on Sunday after a $3,000 bail, the report said.
 

More Local Stories:

• Elderly Woman Drives Car Into Hallandale Beach Pharmacy
• FAMU Hiring New Director for Marching 100 Band
• Miami Police Looking for Missing Teen Girl

A man waved his hands in the air to celebrate robbing a bank with a machete and no disguise but was arrested minutes after the robbery, the Bradenton Herald reported.

Brenan Cole Fountain, 31, slammed his hand on the counter and demanded money from a Manatee County Bank of America during the Monday morning robbery, the report said.

FBI Seeking Serial Bank Robber in Broward

“He was just wearing a baseball cap and a white T-shirt and kept saying, 'Go ahead, call the police, call them,'” Lenbert Bailey, a customer in the bank during the robbery, told the newspaper.

According to Bailey, the robber challenged the employees to call the police and flaunted the knife in the air.

Although Fountain did not have a bag to put the stolen money in, he received about $4,000 from the bank’s employees, the report said.

Man Robs Satellite Beach Credit Union to Pay for Disney Cruise: Report

“They were really frightened,” Bailey told the newspaper. “They were sobbing. I felt really badly for the ladies.”

Fountain walked out of the bank but a witness, who works for the bank's alarm and security services, followed Fountain and alerted police, the report said.

Fountain was arrested about 11 blocks from the bank. He was being held without bond Tuesday on charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault and theft, and it was unknown whether he has an attorney.
 

More Local Stories:

• Man's False ID Arrest Leads to Child Pornography Charges in Florida Keys
• Cooper City Man Arrested After Running Estranged Wife Off Road: Police
• No Victims or Known Suspects in Shooting That Occurred Near Jennifer Lopez Video Filming: Fort Lauderdale Police

A man was arrested after shooting at his landlord with a rifle, Broward Sheriff’s Office said.

Sergio Vasallo, 62, told authorities that he had received continuous verbal aggression from his landlord since he moved into the Fort Lauderdale house where he rents a room

During a BBQ on Sunday, the landlord became verbally aggressive towards him, and he decided to walk into his bedroom, the arrest report said.

South Florida Renter Caught Up in Foreclosure Action Gets Evicted

Moments later, the landlord was standing in front of the bedroom door, yelling at him, BSO said.

According to the report, Vasallo grabbed his loaded gun from underneath his pillow and shot at the landlord’s chest.

Vasallo waited for the authorities in his bedroom and said he wanted his landlord and the situation gone, the report said.

Military Family's Move to South Florida Turns into Housing Nightmare

Vasallo is being held without bond at the Broward County Jail. It wasn’t immediately known if he had an attorney.
 

More Local Stories:

• Miami-Dade County Expands Hurricane Evacuation Zones
• Fort Lauderdale Beach Shooting Takes Place Near Jennifer Lopez Video Filming
• Heat-Bulls: Game 1 Preview