An 8-year-old boy has been linked to a late-night break-in at a Lakeside pet shop after deputies found him just a short walk from the scene. The shop owner says a pregnant fire sand boa was taken and the front window was smashed, leaving more than $2,000 in damage. Sheriff’s officials told reporters the child will not face criminal charges and that his parents have been connected with county services for follow-up.
How deputies located the child
As reported by Fox 5 San Diego, the burglary happened around 10 p.m. Monday and deputies found the boy roughly 150 yards away at a Dairy Queen. Authorities say the child left his nearby home without his parents' knowledge and was taken to a hospital for observation. The sheriff's office told reporters the boy is not facing criminal charges and that county resources were brought in to work with his family.
Owner describes smash-and-grab
Paws Place owner Stacey Schultz told Fox 5 San Diego she was stunned the suspect was 8 years old. Schultz said the suspect smashed the store's glass front door with a chunk of concrete and went straight to a terrarium to take the snake. The missing animal is a pregnant fire sand boa, she told reporters, turning an already strange burglary into a very specific reptile grab.
Damage and the missing boa
The shop estimates more than $2,000 in damage from the break-in, and Schultz says nothing else in the store was taken, a detail deputies say suggests the thief knew what to look for. Paws Place Grooming lists Stacey Schultz as the owner and operates the Lakeside shop that sells sand boas, which the owner said typically fetch $150 to $300, per the Better Business Bureau.
Legal and welfare follow-up
Deputies say the child was evaluated at a hospital and detectives continue to investigate as they try to locate the snake. For information on reporting tips or community resources, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office maintains contact and support channels for residents. Anyone with information about the incident or the animal's whereabouts is asked to contact authorities.
Schultz said she hopes the boy's parents will cover the cost of replacing the shattered front door and that the missing boa will be returned unharmed. Detectives continue to follow leads in Lakeside while the community waits for word about the snake, and about whether this bizarre pet-shop caper will have a relatively gentle ending for everyone involved.
