KNBC (Los Angeles, Californoa) 27 June 08 Snakes, Lizards Returned After Sting Operation

Fountain Valley, Calif.: Three pythons allegedly stolen by a store employee were back in their Fountain Valley pet shop cages, and a menagerie of other snakes and lizards also seized were in possession of authorities, police said Friday.

Mauricio Mayer, 32, of Cypress, was arrested Wednesday at his residence after a Fountain Valley police officer posed as a buyer for the pythons that Mayer had offered for sale, said Fountain Valley police Lt. Jim McNeff.

Twenty-seven other reptiles, many of them venomous and illegal to possess without a permit, as well as 11 piranhas, also illegal to have in California, were also seized from the home and turned over to Department of Fish and Game agents, McNeff said.

Police also confiscated three AR-15 assault rifles, along with magazines and ammunition. Mayer did not have permits for the unregistered weapons, and police are trying to determine how they came into his possession, McNeff said.

Mayer may have assembled the weapons, McNeff said.

Mayer allegedly stole the pythons from Pre-Historic Pets, 18822 Brookhurst St., in September and October, while he worked at the shop, McNeff said.

He was questioned by the owner at the time and denied involvement, McNeff said.

A short time later he quit.

The most valuable snake, a tiger titanium reticulated python, is worth $12,000, while two tiger het titanium pythons, are each valued at $2,000, McNeff said.

The owner "only bred 12 and he knew where every one was," McNeff said. "To him, they are like children and it is with that certainty that he is able to identify them."

A breeder who is a friend of the shop owner learned that someone was offering pythons for sale and alerted the owner, who called police. An undercover officer met with Mayer to negotiate a price, and Mayer was arrested after the officer verified that the snakes were in Mayer's possession, McNeff said.

Mayer had no permits for the venomous snakes, and the other boas, pythons and lizards were taken as part of the investigation. It was not immediately known where Mayer got them, McNeff said.

"He's like a collector gone wild," McNeff said, "definitely a snake lover, a reptile lover. They're a hobby of his and he took advantage of a situation where he had access to them."

The other reptiles included a gila monster, two false water cobras, two neotropical rattlesnakes, three beaded lizards, two sufan cobras, two albino monical cobras, a monical cobra, a sidewinder rattlesnake, a copperhead, two carpet pythons, an albino redtail boa, two redtail boas, five ball pythons and two monitor lizards, McNeff said.

Also taken were 11 piranhas, which are illegal in California because if they got into the state's lakes and rivers they could devour native species, said David LaPlante, a store manager.

Despite the removal of so many reptiles, there were other animals that were left behind, McNeff said.

Only the three rare pythons came from the store, and it was unknown where the other creatures came from, McNeff said.

The rare pythons are back on the store shelf and for sale, LaPlante said.

"These aren't things people buy as pets," LaPlante said. "They're more of an investment."

Mayer was free on $20,000 bail, LaPlante said.
Snakes, Lizards Returned After Sting Operation

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