OXFORD, Fla. — A pet Burmese python measuring more than 8 feet long broke out of a terrarium and strangled a 2-year-old girl in her bedroom Wednesday at a central Florida home, authorities said.
Shaiunna Hare was already dead when paramedics arrived at about 10 a.m., Lt. Bobby Caruthers of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said.
Charles Jason Darnell, the snake’s owner and the boyfriend of Shaiunna’s mother, discovered the snake missing from its terrarium and went to the girl’s room, where he found it on the girl and bite marks on her head, Caruthers said. Darnell, 32, stabbed the snake until he was able to pry the child away.
“The baby’s dead!” a sobbing caller from the house screamed to a 911 dispatcher in a recording. “Our stupid snake got out in the middle of the night and strangled the baby.”
Authorities did not identify the caller and removed the person’s name from the recording.
“She got out of the cage last night and got into the baby’s crib and strangled her to death,” the caller said.
Authorities removed the snake from the home Wednesday afternoon after obtaining a search warrant. Once outside the small, tan home, bordered by cow pastures, the snake was placed in a bag then inside a dog crate. The snake was still alive.
Darnell did not have a permit for the snake, which would be a second-degree misdemeanor, said Joy Hill, a spokeswoman with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He has not been charged, but Caruthers said investigators were looking into whether there was child neglect or if any other laws were broken.
Hill said the snake will be placed with someone who has a permit, pending an investigation into the girl’s death.
The Humane Society of the United States said including Wednesday’s death, at least 12 people have been killed in the U.S. by pet pythons since 1980, including five children.
Burmese pythons are not native to Florida, but they easily survive in the state and can reach a length of 26 feet and weigh more than 200 pounds.
Some owners have freed pythons into the wild and a population of them has taken hold in the Everglades. One killed an alligator and then burst when it tried to eat it. Scientists also speculate a bevy of Burmese pythons escaped in 1992 from pet shops battered by Hurricane Andrew and have been reproducing since.
“It’s becoming more and more of a problem, perhaps no fault of the animal, more a fault of the human,” said Jorge Pino, a state wildlife commission spokesman. “People purchase these animals when they’re small. When they grow, they either can’t control them or release them.”
George Van Horn, owner of Reptile World Serpentarium in St. Cloud, said the strangulation could have occurred because the snake felt threatened or because it thought the child was food.
“They are always operating on instinct,” he said. “Even the largest person can become overpowered by a python.”
Oxford is about 50 miles northwest of Orlando.
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Associated Press writers Matt Sedensky, Antonio Gonzalez and Lisa Orkin contributed to this report from Miami.
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Comments » 32
nativeone (Inactive) writes:
If you need a python tutor, NDN is advertising.
Sad story about this little girl, what were her parents thinking owning a python with a small child?
pbkgirl writes:
It is sad. Yes, where were the parents? But I suspect that this was not a pet python but one that got into their yard. Not far-fetched at all down here...
Lemme writes:
http://www.wftv.com/news/19915016/det...
CoachMike writes:
Charles Jason Darnell, the snake's owner and boyfriend of the victim's mother. Live with that the rest of your miserable life you idiot.
Max_Headroom writes:
I bet the snakes name is 'Monty'.
geecee827 (Inactive) writes:
Oh, so this was a "Pet" snake, not just one in the wild? What kind of a sick bast**d would have a snake for a pet?
btmdgr writes:
it was lemon
TSOL writes:
Too sad and to think this could have been prevented.
grouper25 writes:
back off Brian239 GeeCee's MY pet.
swamp4ever writes:
Amazing in this Gestapo infested country....its illegal to not wear your seatbelt, but its not illegal to import and own a dangerous exotic reptile/animal.
Unreal
DamagedGoodz writes:
Really? People are debating the competency of 'exotic pet owner' parents? Guarantee there's a car on cement blocks in the driveway. Poor kid, stupid parents.
KR writes:
Boy friend! What kind of mother would have a boy friend with a python pet live in her house with her two year old child? Lock them both up and kill the snake! What planet did these two come from?
Naplestango writes:
Hey! It takes all kinds to make a village.
Some parents of toddlers keep pitbulls IN their house...as in "Bull bred-to-fight-to-the-death-in-a-pit-whose-jaws-lock"
Godstheboss writes:
Charge adults with Involuntary manslaughter and the snake should get the death penalty!
beachykeen writes:
Naplestango, you have no idea what you're talking about. There is no such thing as a dog with locking jaws; all dogs have the same jaws, otherwise they couldn't be classified as a dog.
And there is a huge difference between a cold-blooded wild creature and an animal that has been bred into domesticity for thousands of years.
TSOL writes:
Why do people feel the need to own a dangerous pet? Does it make them feel tougher or badder? Perhaps it's an extension of their manhood. I just don't get how and why you would own any animal that could cause great harm to your children.
Also what fun could a snake be? I know dogs and cats at least give you some attention but a snake that you have to keep locked in a cage.
tried_n_true writes:
A snake is not a "pet". A very sad story.
fedupwithnaples writes:
living out in the estates we see many of these released "Pets". They are not pets, nor is a wolf hybrid or otherwise.
Naplestango: Keep Pitbulls out of this, you have no idea what you are talking about.
Max_Headroom writes:
Ok. let's talk about how 'nice' pit bulls are.
swamp4ever writes:
I'd just like to know why the govt sees fit to meddle in every aspect of our lives, except for the import and possession of exotic snakes. Where is Nancy Pelosi when we really need some govt control?
greasemonkey writes:
ok bottom i have three pits that were raise with my 7& 9 year old kidds none have ever even raised a lip to anyone my daughter used to sleep between two of them and use the other as a pillow yea that sounds like a cold blooded killer to me oh & by the way she did get bit by her grand mothers rat a-- pom
nativeone (Inactive) writes:
greasemonkey two keys to the right is a key for periods these are used to seperate sentences with different subjects and verbs one key to the right is the comma it can be used for a similar purpose both these keys will make your post more readable
SARAHbellum (Inactive) writes:
Animals can turn in an instant...they don't know any better. They don't have the same reasoning as people. I realize that all you pitbull owners love your animals but i wouldn't take my eyes off them for a second. That goes for any animal that is bigger and stonger than a child they live in the home with. I cry for that mother. Think of what she must be going through. I have a 3 year old. I can't imagine.
pbkgirl writes:
nativeone - spelling is "sepArate"
SARAHbellum (Inactive) writes:
Btw beachykeen...i think what naplestango is referring to with the lock jaw comment is that they have extremely powerful jaws that are very difficult to pry open when they get a hold of someone. I'm surprised that doesn't make sense to you. Maybe naplestango knows more than you think.
beachykeen writes:
Sarah, I know what naplestango is saying. And what I am saying is that he is wrong. No dog has a locking dog.
Do a google search on it or just look here:
http://www.dogwatch.net/myths/lock_ja...
SARAHbellum (Inactive) writes:
I'm not saying thier jaws lock up. This isn't even an article about dogs. Who really cares.
AUDITTGIRL84 writes:
If a dog killed a 2 year old it would be killed...Why don't they kill the snake?
chincieone writes:
I wish some people had lock jaw. Their mouth just goes on and on for ever!!!
sassy2 writes:
Naplestango, it doesn't take all kinds, we just have all kinds.
Exotic pets can be kept safely if the owners are responsible owners and obtain the proper education in caring for these pets. Our household survived iguanas, turtles, birds, cats, snakes and tarantulas.
naplestan writes:
I've been thinking for the past few days, about the horrors of last 20 minutes of the baby Shaiunna's life. I'm sure like many others we are deeply saddened. some of us will carry this sad memory for years. I hope that the mother had enough happy memories. Please have a safe and happy Independence day. GOD Bless America.
karenrobert writes:
some funny excuses: but the python never hurt anyone before . he was just raised that way. it was only instinct to kill the baby. it's not the python's fault. the python was unloved, abused, and chained outside. the python was not socialized. the python was lonely. it's the media's fault. it's every body's fault except for the python. more people are killed by pitbulls than pythons therefore it's safer to keep pythons as pets than pitbulls. that's discrimination against against the ..pitbul....i mean python. punish the deed not the python breed! i think iam going to go and vomit.
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