Usually, Cindy Moore and her staff at Reigning Reptiles keep the exotic pet cages locked, but last week two men stole three hard-to-find snakes while the cages were unlocked for cleaning and feeding.
The Gwinnett County pet store lost Hypo Peruvian Red Tail boa constrictors worth hundreds of dollars.
“They can run anywhere between $400 and $700,” Moore told Channel 2 Action News.
Moore said she got the snakes from a local breeder who spent years trying to breed them successfully.
“We also watched these babies be born and watched them grow for the last few months,” Moore shared on the Facebook page for the business. “Knowing they are missing is terribly upsetting to all of us, including their breeder.”
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The family-owned business can’t always afford to have two staff members watching the store, but the men who came in knew what they were doing.
“They placed an order for rodents,” Moore told Channel 2.
One of the suspects purposefully distracted the employee while the second man stole the snakes. They drove off in a dark blue, newer-model Ford Crown Victoria, with fresh paint.
Moore believes the thieves are going to try to sell the snakes on Craigslist or on social media.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, text information to 274637 or visit crimestoppersatlanta.org. Tipsters can remain anonymous and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000.
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