Man stole snake, left child at pet expo

[771subliminal]

WEST ALLIS, Wis. —A man could be facing charges after police say he stole a snake at a pet expo and left his son behind

Exhibitors at State Fair Park said they were just starting to pack up Saturday night at the Great Lakes Pet Expo when the incident happened.

Cindy Steinle runs the reptile exhibit and said a volunteer was showing a corn snake to a boy when the boy's father walked off with the snake.

"In the 20 years I've been doing education like this, we've never had someone steal an animal and leave a child behind," Steinle said. "He (the volunteer) had given the snake to the child to pet and to hold, and the child handed the snake off to his father and his father left, leaving his child behind."

Organizers said the snake is only worth about $40 so they were baffled by the theft.

State Fair Park Police said they were able to track down the man and the snake.

Police said when they found the man, he had a pillowcase on him that officers could see was squirming. Capt. Jim Bruno said that's how officers knew they had their man.

"The pillowcase was moving, we pretty much knew we were zeroing in on what we were there for," Bruno said.

Officials said Child Services did get involved and the boy is back with his mother.

"We didn't want the child in exchange for the snake so thankfully the child is back home and the snake is with us," Steinle said


http://www.wisn.com/news/south-east-...z/-/index.html

[I-KandyReptiles]

Over a $40 snake? Wow.

[lX V1P3R Xl]

Thats happened really close to me, I found the story quite hilarious lol. What an idiot.

[Aztec4mia]

Not everyone can be a winner at life, sheesh.

[MasonC2K]

Someone needs to take his Dad Card and his Man Card.

[schrammalot]

It's a shame they couldn't have kept the kid, too.

[Anatopism]

"We didn't want the child in exchange for the snake so thankfully the child is back home and the snake is with us," Steinle said

HA.

[Rob]

Wow and all for a corn snake? Well he couldn't have been too bright to leave his son behind in the first place. Humans amaze me.

[Annarose15]

Humans amaze me.

And people think I'm weird because I prefer the company of snakes...

[ChrisS]

Wow, I hope he gets charged with abandonment, neglect, theft, fleeing the scene, and any other charges they can come up with. He obviously needs a while to think about leaving his child.