Current Events > Thieves stole a shark by disguising it as a baby.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Leon Valley police say a well-trained trio took Shark Week too far, stealing a horn shark from the San Antonio Aquarium Saturday afternoon.

According to Leon Valley police Chief Joseph Salvaggio, the group stole the shark from an open pool where visitors are allowed to reach in and pet the various species in the tank. Two men and a woman are wanted in connection with the theft.

Salvaggio said one of the men grabbed the shark by its tail while the others wrapped it in a wet blanket, went into a back room, put the shark in a bucket and put the bucket in the stroller.

According to Jenny Spellman, the general manager of the San Antonio Aquarium, an employee noticed what was going on and immediately notified management.

Spellman said the men went into a back room and put the shark into a San Antonio Aquarium bucket that had a bleach solution. She said that the bleach might have shocked the shark's system.

The men are then seen on surveillance emerging from the room with the bucket, loading the bucket into the bottom of a stroller.

"When we first got the call, we thought it was kind of a hoax being that it was Shark Week last week," Salvaggio said. "But it turns out someone actually went inside the aquarium there in Leon Valley and stole a horn shark."

Salvaggio said that the group had to have some knowledge of aquariums and likely went to the aquarium specifically for that shark.

"It's very obvious the person knows what he's looking for and went there specifically for that area," Salvaggio said of the surveillance video. "We got a good look at the person -- or persons involved. There's three people involved."

Spellman said the group attempted to pass the shark off as a baby.

Spellman went out to the parking lot to confront the group about the shark theft. One of the men refused to let Spellman search the truck and said that his son was sick and that he needed to leave immediately.

The man got into the truck and drove away, leaving the woman and the other man behind.

Police have tracked down the truck and are trying to determine who was driving the truck at the time of the theft, if not the truck's owner.

Police said they have a person of interest in custody and have impounded the truck. So far, no charges have been filed.

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They got it back, by the way.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Leon-Valley-police-Shark-stolen-from-aquarium-in-13118000.php

Leon Valley Police Chief Joseph Salvaggio said Monday evening that the man, who was not been identified, confessed to stealing the shark.

The 38-year-old man faces a charge of theft between $750 and $2,500, police said. He said police expect to charge another two people.

San Antonio Aquarium assistant husbandry director Jamie Shank said the horn shark, Helen, a female less than a year old, was determined to be in good condition.

Shank said the shark will be under several days of observation to make sure there are no effects of stress, that she does not have any parasites and that she is eating healthy.

The man told police he had had a horn shark of his own, but it died.

More than likely it was something that he wanted, Salvaggio said at a Monday evening news conference.

When the suspect came home, he gave us consent to go in the house, Salvaggio said. He took us right to where the shark was and pointed (her) out.

Initially they were going to show us an old receipt for this type of shark, but it was obviously doctored and the gig was up, Salvaggio said.

Salvaggio said authorities were surprised to find that the man had an entire aquarium at this home. There were different marine animals. (He) very much knew what he was doing and kept that animal alive, and was able to continue seeing that animal thrive, which was pretty shocking.

Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History, described horn sharks as pretty hardy if properly handled.

Police had been looking for two men and a woman after getting a report that the shark had been taken from the aquarium about 2:15 p.m. Saturday.

The horn shark is 2 to 3 feet long, Salvaggio said. The aquarium has estimated the value of the shark to be around $2,000.

Salvaggio said tips were being called into the office Monday after news that police had recovered a pickup tied to the theft. Detectives used those tips and traced the truck to a home at a far Northeast Side neighborhood off Bulverde Road.

Salvaggio said they are working with the government to figure out if there will be federal charges added since transporting these types of animals takes a specific permit.

We have a lot to do, but were happy tonight to get the shark back home, Salvaggio said.

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We need more looney toons esque nonsense like this during these odd times.
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...What a wild ride from start to finish
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Absolutely disgusting. Those criminals need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I call for these measures as a fellow shark.
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F*** anybody who seriously uses the term shark week
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i wanted pics of a shark swaddled in baby clothes in a stroller or something
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Sounds like something out of a Miramax film.
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TeaMilk posted...

i wanted pics of a shark swaddled in baby clothes in a stroller or something

You could always draw one!
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TeaMilk posted...

i wanted pics of a shark swaddled in baby clothes in a stroller or something

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When is the movie?
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TeaMilk posted...

i wanted pics of a shark swaddled in baby clothes in a stroller or something

this is the exact mental image that came into my head when I clicked this topic

with the shark in the whole getup, bib and everything
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reminds me of that time people too that giant isopod to hooters and pretended it was a baby
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TeaMilk posted...

i wanted pics of a shark swaddled in baby clothes in a stroller or something

Omg this

iPhone_7 posted...

F*** anybody who seriously uses the term shark week

What a pathetic thing to be mad about
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FL81 posted...

TeaMilk posted...

i wanted pics of a shark swaddled in baby clothes in a stroller or something

this is the exact mental image that came into my head when I clicked this topic

with the shark in the whole getup, bib and everything

kayoticdreamz posted...

FL81 posted...

TeaMilk posted...

i wanted pics of a shark swaddled in baby clothes in a stroller or something

this is the exact mental image that came into my head when I clicked this topic

with the shark in the whole getup, bib and everything

I pictured a bunch of meth heads claiming a shark swimming in a bucket was there bucket baby.
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TeaMilk posted...

i wanted pics of a shark swaddled in baby clothes in a stroller or something

Yeah, that would have been great.
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SpinKirby posted...

When is the movie?

Fishin' Impossible
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But how do you steal a shark?
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Shark babies
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DevsBro posted...

SpinKirby posted...

When is the movie?

Fishin' Impossible

XD
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So it survived even though there was some bleach in the bucket?
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gunplagirl posted...

...What a wild ride from start to finish

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This is kinda funny. Nobody got hurt, the shark seems to be okay, and the guys who stole it aren't in that much trouble.
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