Prison guard accused in snake slaying


A correctional officer was arrested after he forced his way into his brother's home, grabbed a roommate's pet snake and allegedly tore it in half, police said Wednesday.

Officers were called out to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at 7:07 p.m. Monday in the 2100 block of Kensington Way. But they arrived to find that the victim of the crime was not human, but actually a 3-foot-long boa constrictor, said Hanford Police Lt. George Hernandez.

The attack may have stemmed from an ongoing feud between suspect Ryan Bolen; his brother, Richard Bolen; and Richard's roommate, Zachary Bates, investigators said.

Just before 7 p.m., Ryan Bolen arrived at the home and pushed his way inside, assaulting his sister-in-law, Shirlene Bolen, in the process, witnesses said. He claimed to be there to pick up some items that "belonged to his children," according to a police report.

But rather than enter the back yard to get the property, 29-year-old Bolen detoured into Bates' room, grabbed the pet snake from its aquarium and ripped it in half, killing it, police said.

Bolen then left the house without any of the items he said he'd come for. He was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and battery and booked into the Kings County Jail on $30,000 bail. He was released the following morning, jail records show.

This incident marks the second time this week a correctional officer has been arrested in Hanford. Also on Monday, 42-year-old correctional officer Peter Esparza was arrested and charged with trying to shoot his significant other. He remains in custody on $575,000 bail.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.
www.hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/article_845bb70e-9dad-11e0-8ae8-001cc4c03286.html

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• CA:Prison guard accused in snake slaying - EricWI, Fri Jun 24 09:34:18 2011