8-year-old shatters Lakeside pet store door, steals snake

Michael Chen
Posted

LAKESIDE, Calif. (KGTV) - A break-in at a Lakeside pet store ended with a stunning revelation — the suspect was 8 years old.

Deputies responded to Pet Supplies & More after a witness at a nearby Dollar Tree called 911 and reported seeing a young boy hurl a chunk of concrete through the store's front door late Monday night.

The boy ran out of the shop with a year-old red fire sand boa before deputies caught up with him.

"They said they caught him right in front of Dairy Queen on Woodside, with the snake in his hand," store owner Stacey Schultz-Cronin said.

The snake was returned to the store. Schultz-Cronin said she is monitoring the animal closely because it is pregnant.

"She's still pregnant, with no signs of miscarriage," Schultz-Cronin said.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office said the boy was transported to a hospital for an evaluation. Deputies said the psychiatric emergency response team (PERT) is connecting his family with resources. No arrest or charges are pending.

For Schultz-Cronin, the suspect's age was the hardest part to process.

"8 years old just baffles me. I'm speechless. 8 years old. Should be playing with Legos and Barbies, not breaking windows, stealing live animals," Schultz-Cronin said.

The damage to the store's front door exceeds $2,000. Schultz-Cronin said she hopes the boy's parents will take responsibility.

"All I ask is for them to pay for it, and take responsibility for their kid's actions," Schultz-Cronin said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.