Catfish caper in St. Cloud: Family finds slimy catfish in mailbox

ST. CLOUD, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Is it a prank or a problem? An Osceola County family finds a slimy fish in their mailbox.  Now they're wondering if this mystery could lead to something more sinister. 

This all started Monday morning when the mailman walked up to the front door of their home on Florida Avenue.  He handed the family the mail and told them someone put a catfish in their mailbox.

Maddison Fertic says, "I was stunned. You definitely don't expect to see a catfish in your mailbox."  Fertic took photos of the large fish in her mail box, and then after she pulled it out and put it on the ground.  She adds, "It was still slimy and wet and it was about twelve inches long.  It was intact except there was still blood in it from where the hook was in the mouth."

Fertic threw the fish in the garbage can, but she hasn't forgotten about what happened.  She says she has no idea who would do this or why.  She claims her family keeps to themselves.     She hopes this is just a prank and not something that could become a problem later.

She wonders, "It's just a fish in my mailbox now, but is something going to happen in the future where someone throws a brick through my window? It just makes you wonder. "

The family does plan to report the catfish incident to the St. Cloud Police Department.