By Mitchell Willetts
Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.)
CYPRESS, Texas — A Texas man was arrested after deputies found guns, drugs, and exotic snakes slithering around in his car during a recent traffic stop, officials say.
Deputies pulled over the driver on a freeway near Cypress, a suburb of Houston roughly 30 miles northwest from the city’s downtown, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 said in a Dec. 27 news release shared on Facebook.
Deputies learned the man had an open felony warrant, and they searched his vehicle, uncovering a loaded rifle caliber pistol and unspecified drugs — and also three pythons in the back seat, photos show.
It’s “definitely not your typical traffic stop,” the precinct said.
“OMG I would have to quit my police job and run for the moon,” a commenter wrote on the precinct’s post.
“He thought nobody would check vehicle with snakes in it,” said another.
The driver was arrested for unlawful carrying of a weapon and illegal narcotics, according to the release.
It’s not clear why the man had snakes — which appear to be ball pythons — loose in the car. The reptiles were turned over to a family member at the scene, deputies said.
Ball pythons are native to Africa , though they’ve been a popular pet across the world for decades. They are nonvenomous and are generally considered docile, according to experts.
___
(c)2024 the Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.)
Visit the Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.) at www.mercedsunstar.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The man was caught on camera wearing Grinch pajamas as he used a stolen credit card
An Orange County sheriff’s deputy was getting out of his cruiser when the suspect, identified as Austin Schepers, started shooting, Indiana State Police said
The partnership will provide a training experience that combines high-fidelity simulation scenarios with real-world tactical instruction to enhance weapon handling proficiency
Santa Fe Police used drone footage to locate the suspect and coordinate an arrest on foot within 15 minutes of the initial report
