A Florida man stole two baby turtles from a zoo last November. Now the police were able to arrest the suspect.
Saint Petersburg - A man from Florida allegedly stole two valuable baby Galapagos tortoises from a zoo in the city of Saint Petersburg in November last year. In mid-May, the police were finally able to arrest the thief. "We hope to get [the turtles] back unharmed," the zoo said in a touching message on Facebook last December. Now it became known that only one of the two animals survived the kidnapping.
Florida man steals baby turtles – and freezes one
Police detained the 46-year-old suspect in Saint Petersburg in mid-May. "If he were your neighbor, you wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary," a policewoman explains. The case was more than unusual: One of the baby turtles was found safely, but the other had frozen by the man. For them, any help came too late. The animals had previously been chipped by the zoo and could thus be clearly identified. In the house of the detainee, another seven turtles were discovered, the origin of which was initially unclear. The 46-year-old is also suspected of stealing rare books and comics during burglaries in shops.
A giant tortoise (symbolic image). © Diego Bermeo/Parque Nacional Galápagos/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++
The stolen Galapagos cubs were part of a conservation plan that ensures endangered species are preserved for future generations, according to a statement from the zoo. One of the animals is worth about $10,000 each. Galapagos turtles can weigh up to 270 kilograms and live for around 150 years.
Man from Florida headlines become a meme in the US
In the US, there is the "Florida Man" meme, which revolves around the unusual incidents in the US state of Florida. In fact, there are numerous headlines that begin with "Florida Man" and describe unusual incidents. "Florida man trapped in unlocked closet for two days," "Florida man desperate for ride to Hooters and calls 911" or "Florida man arrested for trying to get an alligator drunk." The incident of the Galapagos tortoises stolen from the zoo seems to fit in seamlessly. The Netflix series "Florida Man" is not based on the memes themselves, but similar ludicrous incidents happen. In this case, unfortunately, you can't smile about it.
