THE ADVERTISER (Adelaide, Australia) 05 October 06 Man steals 12 snakes - at gunpoint (Lauren Novak)
An armed man forced his way into a home to steal 12 snakes worth $108,000 in a bizarre robbery at Hewett yesterday.
Wearing gardening gloves and carrying a black pistol, the man burst into the home, 46km north east of Adelaide, about 2.30pm and demanded the green tree pythons kept inside, binding the occupants after being given the reptiles.
The intruder placed the non-poisonous snakes in a duffle bag before binding a woman and two boys with cable ties.
No one was injured.
Each snake was about 80cm long, about one-year-old and worth $9000.
The offender is described as Caucasian, 178cm tall with a solid build and aged in his early 30s.
He had an olive complexion, dark coloured goatee beard and deep voice.
He was wearing a dark blue shirt and trousers, a brown broad-brimmed hat, dark sunglasses, white sneakers and the gardening gloves.
In October, 2004, a metre-long green tree python, valued at $20,000, was stolen during a break-in at a Hewett home and this is believed to have been the site of yesterday's robbery.
Anyone with any information on yesterday's theft should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Man steals 12 snakes - at gunpoint