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Seven Stolen Zoo Animals, Including A Turtle Named David Beckham, Found In Florida Man’s Apartment
Two gopher tortoises and two box turtles are still at large.
A skink lizard, squirrel monkey and multiple turtles — including one named David Beckham after the soccer star — were found inside a Florida man’s apartment after they went missing from the local zoo.
The zoo's still missing four other turtles.
Sedrick T. Price, 20, was arrested in Gainesville on Tuesday after police said he was harboring seven out of the 11 animals missing from the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, police said.
Price (pictured) was charged with grand theft, according to Santa Fe College Police Captain Ryan Woods.
“Our investigation is continuing, and we are still concerned for the safety of the missing animals and we hope we are able to recover them quickly,” he said in a statement.
Police believe that the three Florida box turtles, two red-foot tortoises, a skink and a squirrel monkey found inside Price’s apartment were stolen from the zoo during the night of May 29 and early morning of May 30.
Beckham the turtle went missing earlier, on May 23. Two gopher tortoises and two box turtles that were also stolen from the zoo that day are still missing — and may need medical attention, according to WGFL in Gainesville.
A tip led police to Price, according to a statement from the zoo. It’s not clear if he was trying to sell the zoo animals or if he wanted to keep them in his apartment as pets.
"It was a great collaboration of effort from the community," said Santa Fe College Police Chief Ed Book, expressing his gratitude for the public’s help. “Our investigation still has a long way to go, but recovering these animals was a great start."
[Photo: Alachua County Sheriff's Office]
