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THE MERCURY (Pottsdown, Pennsylvania) 03 December 05 Teen charged in snake-bite incident at St. Pius X (Tracy Meadowcroft)
Lower Pottsgrove: The 17-year-old boy who brought a copperhead snake to St. Pius X High School where it bit a fellow student has been charged for the Oct. 21 incident, according to police.
The boy, whose name was not re-leased because of his age, was charged with recklessly en-dangering an-other person and simple assault, which will be handled through the Montgomery County juvenile court system, according to Lower Pottsgrove police.
Also, the boy was fined because he took the snake from Valley Forge National Park, police said. A phone call to a member of the U.S. Park Service for further details was not immediately returned.
Kaitlin Chrobocinski, a 14-year-old freshman at St. Pius, was bitten on the middle finger of her right hand as drama students, who had gathered at the school on an in-service day, looked at the snake. The boy had kept the snake in a shoebox after capturing it on Oct. 15.
Kaitlin said previously that several students handled the snake, but it bit her without provocation as she held it.
Initial reports said Kaitlin could lose her arm because of the snake bite after 45 minutes had passed before she was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Police said Friday the delay in getting treatment for Kaitlin was not due to a lack of action by the drama teacher, but the students’ reluctance to tell her what had happened. The teacher was not negligent in the incident and will not be charged, police said.
Police said school officials had no prior knowledge about the snake being stored in the building and took appropriate action after Kaitlin was bitten.
"Everyone involved in the incident, including the juvenile, his family and school officials, have been 100-percent cooperative during the investigation," said Lower Pottsgrove police Detective Mike Foltz.
About one week after the incident, the boy withdrew from St. Pius as the result of a family decision, said the Rev. Joseph Bongard, president/principal of the high school. He said the boy was not disciplined by the school since, at the time of his withdrawal, the incident was still under investigation.
"This was a very difficult time and we’re certainly glad it’s coming to a close," Bongard said.
Bongard said Kaitlin has returned to school and, to his knowledge, has no problems with using her right arm.
Kaitlin said previously she threw the snake across the room after it bit her and, thinking it was dead, students threw it out a back door. Apparently, the snake was only stunned and was missing when the students returned to look for it.
A picture on the boy’s camera phone allowed authorities to identify the snake and treat Kaitlin appropriately, police said.
Teen charged in snake-bite incident at St. Pius X

As sad as it is to say, at least he illegally collected it in the wild and it wasn't someone's pet. That could have hurt us worse.

I must agree with you there!

>>As sad as it is to say, at least he illegally collected it in the wild and it wasn't someone's pet. That could have hurt us worse.
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U.A.P.P.E.A.L.
Uniting A Proactive Primate and Exotic Animal League

Funny thing...

I live 15 minutes from the park and they are NOT found there.. I asked other local herpers they agree.

Al
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"Snakes in Peru are not there for decoration, they really bite people."

Professor David Warrell, Omaha 10/21/05

I can understand the recklessly endangering another person charge, but why simple assault? Didn't she willingly hold the snake? It would be different if he pressured her to hold it(for all we know maybe he did and the articles didn't mention it) or if he threw the snake at her, but assault for "allowing" her to hold the snake seems a little off.

Seems silly for any criminal charges, just a bunch kids being stupid. Anyway I 've been bitten by a copperhead, and didn't recieve treatment for at least two hours after the bite, and all they did was keep me on antibiotics, Antivenom is generally not used for copperhead bites since they are so mild. I doubt she was at any real risk of losing an arm.

When i heard this story i knew she was in worse shape than she would have been had the kids not waited around to tell anyone. For a child that age and most likely not the weight of a full grown man, she should have been taken immediatly to the hospital. It is no ones fault but their own.