MOORPARK : Deputies Seek Leads in Pet Store Thefts

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies said Tuesday that they can’t make heads or tails of the recent theft of a baby iguana, baby boa constrictor and tarantula from a Moorpark pet store.

Sheriff’s Lt. George Conahey said deputies have so far not found any leads or witnesses to the theft from The Pet Experience, 530 Los Angeles Ave.

In addition to the three animals, which were each in 10-gallon glass aquariums, the thieves took a larger display aquarium valued at $100 to $150, along with $142 in cash, said Ruth Dempsey, one of the store’s owners.

The iguana would have sold for $60. The boa constrictor, which is about two feet long, was priced at $200. And the Mexican Rosie tarantula had a $20 price tag.

The theft occurred about 12:45 a.m. Friday morning, police said. Owners checked the store after the alarm was tripped, but didn’t discover the missing merchandise and cash until they opened later in the morning.

Conahey said he believes that the thieves may have wanted to keep the pets for themselves.

“They’re unusual pets,” he said. “It’s a cheap way to get them.”

Dempsey said none of the stolen pets are harmful. But she is concerned that the thieves won’t care for the animals properly.

In addition to needing to be kept warm, the pets all have special diets. The boa constrictor, for example, eats only mice, while the tarantula thrives on crickets.