Former Beechview man who owned Chomp the alligator, other reptiles receives split verdict in neglect trial

Jul. 9—A former Beechview man who made his living selling exotic reptiles and more at expos will be barred from owning any animal for two years, an Allegheny County judge ruled Friday, finding that while he did neglect some of the mammals in his care, his reptiles were adequately cared for.

Common Pleas Judge Thomas Flaherty also ruled that Mark McGowan's escaped alligator named Chomp did, in fact, present a danger to the man who found him on the street in 2019, and McGowan's failure to alert anyone of the escape qualified as recklessness.

Flaherty found McGowan guilty of 16 summary neglect charges. The convictions were related to his care of six rabbits, six quail and four hairless rats.

He was acquitted on all neglect charges pertaining to reptiles: alligators, snakes, iguanas and turtles. He was also acquitted of two neglect charges related to guinea pigs.

Flaherty also found McGown guilty of the most serious remaining charge, reckless endangerment of another person. That charge was filed specifically after the escape of Chomp and the danger he presented. A judge acquitted McGowan of one charge of animal cruelty on Thursday.

McGowan's sentence totals two years of probation: 15 months for the reckless endangerment conviction and a collective nine months for the summary convictions. He cannot own animals during that time, nor can he live with someone who owns animals.

"Mr. McGowan definitely feels vindicated by the result today," said Julia Gitelman, his defense attorney. "(He) was demonized through this process from the day the charges were filed, and our position is that he was wrongly demonized."

She said McGowan, who declined to comment following the verdict, is looking forward to moving on with his life.

"He was a really well-respected member of the reptile community in Pennsylvania and beyond," Gitelman said. "I think that was demonstrated by the supporters who stood by him through this process and his supporters who showed up to court today."

Witnesses for the prosecution — two Pittsburgh police officers and the lead reptile keeper from the Pittsburgh zoo — testified Thursday about the conditions some of the animals were living in. Those conditions led to the June 11, 2019, neglect charges against McGowan. The reckless endangerment charge stemmed from Chomp's escape five days prior when he burst through the screen of an open window while McGowan cleaned his enclosure.

McGowan never called police to report the reptile had escaped, even after it made headlines in the following days.

"I did not know what to do," he told Assistant District Attorney Michael Seigert. "I was in a panic."

Robert Connors, at the time an off-duty city police sergeant, discovered the animal when he was walking his dog. The reckless endangerment charge stemmed from the potential damage Chomp could have done to Connors and his dog.

Gitelman argued that Chomp did not present a danger, and McGowan testified that he'd been raised in captivity, taught to be docile and never given live food. Gitelman referenced a Superior Court case in which the court decided that pointing an unloaded gun at someone did not constitute reckless endangerment, as the gun was not dangerous when unloaded.

"Just because an alligator can be dangerous does not mean ... the alligator was dangerous," she said, noting that Connors did not run away but rather stayed on the opposite side of the street from the alligator until police arrived.

Seigert balked at the comparison.

"There is a huge difference between an unloaded gun and an apex predator," he said, telling the judge that they only way Chomp could be compared to an unloaded gun was if he had no tail and no teeth.

Flaherty ultimately agreed in finding McGowan guilty of that charge. Chomp's escape, he said, might have been just negligent rather than reckless, but the situation "evolved into recklessness when the alligator was out amongst the public."

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .