The Fairfax County Police Department, located in the US state of Virginia, responded to a caller who reported seeing an alligator early Monday morning.
The reptile was located outside of a motel just 20 minutes south of Washington DC.
Police told the BBC that they determined the owner was transporting the alligator from New York to a North Carolina zoo when it escaped.
Due to a Virginia code which prohibits the possession of certain non-native, exotic animals, the alligator and its owner were escorted out of the county, officials said.
Demonstrations are confined to relatively small pockets of LA, while also spreading to other US cities.
BBC Verify explains why AI chatbots are wrong about photos emerging from the LA protests
Demonstrations have continued in other major US cities, including Chicago, where protesters clashed with police on Tuesday.
From Boston to Houston, demonstrators elsewhere have followed the displays of opposition in LA.
Ed the zebra was on the loose since May 31 when authorities captured the pet and airlifted it to a waiting animal trailer.
Channel Nine's Lauren Tomasi appeared to be hit by a non-lethal round as she reported from the scene.
BBC reporter Christal Hayes was driving home when she witnessed the incident at a junction.
Protests flare up in Los Angeles, as demonstrators against immigration raids face off with law enforcement
The BBC's Regan Morris reports from outside a federal building, where there have been violent clashes in recent days.
The Californian city saw a second day of unrest on Saturday in response to immigration raids.
It came after federal raids in the city on Friday in which agents reportedly took dozens of people into custody.
The BBC’s Nomia Iqbal speaks to voters in Philadelphia, where the tech billionaire campaigned for the president and even gave away a few $1m cheques.
Watch how the war of words escalated at the White House and in posts on X.
This is the first meeting between both leaders since Friedrich Merz won the election on 6 May.
President Trump said he's always liked Elon Musk, and was surprised to see Musk's criticism of his signature tax and spending bill.
As many as 40 decommissioned buses were damaged in the fire, according to officials
In a Facebook post, the owner of the store said that they "feel a profound sense of loss" over the destruction of the artefacts.
The world's richest man has called on voters to contact lawmakers and voice their opposition to the president's Big Beautiful Bill.
Ros Atkins from BBC Verify takes a look at the facts surrounding remarks that came our of Washington.
More than 200 fires are burning in the country, with over 100 of them considered out of control.
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