MACOMB DAILY (Michigan) 24 February 06 Thieves swipe rare snake from pet store - Tarantulas let loose to roam, pair of $500 iguanas left to die (Mitch Hotts)

Clinton Township police are searching for the thief who broke into a local pet store and stole an expensive boa constrictor, but left behind the cash register.

Someone smashed the glass door into Great Lake Reptiles on Groesbeck Highway near 14 Mile Road late Tuesday or early Wednesday and made off with a relatively rare albino boa constrictor worth about $3,000.

But the culprits also caused havoc in the shop -- which sells snakes, frogs, geckos, turtles and other creatures -- by letting tarantulas out of their containers, leaving the scary-looking spiders crawling around.

"Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing," said shop owner Ryan DiForti. "It must have been someone who knew how much (the boa) was worth. They didn't even bother to mess with the cash register."

Also taken was a baby yellow anaconda worth about $100. Two iguanas, each worth about $500, were let out of their containers and died from exposure. A white cockatoo that costs $1,500 was found in its cage near the door and investigators suspect the thief either accidentally left it behind or couldn't carry it outside.

The thief smashed a glass door entrance to get inside the shop, but left behind a clawhammer and a flashlight that had been used to smash a display case, according to a police report.

Detective Lt. Marc Rybinski said the store owner provided names of potential suspects, but so far the creatures have not yet been recovered.

DiForti, 23, a graduate of Warren Woods Tower High School, said the boa constrictor is about 4 feet in length and is ready to breed. Its bite is not deadly but it could squeeze a cat or baby to death.

"It's such an expensive snake, there are only about 20 in Michigan that are raised by private breeders. I'd really like to get it back, I hand-picked it myself because I loved the color," DiForti said.

DiForti said his insurance doesn't cover the reptiles and he may also have to pay the cost of replacing the glass door, which is about $350. He is offering a $500 reward for the return of the boa constrictor.

"I'll take it back no questions asked," he said.

Anyone with information on the snake theft is asked to call police at (586) 493-7802.
Thieves swipe rare snake from pet store

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