Kentucky men arrested for allegedly stealing lizard, trying to pawn it for alcohol
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It’s early yet, but we can say with a reasonable degree of certainty that, when all is said and done, this story will be today’s most bizarre: Police arrested a father and son in a small Kentucky town for allegedly stealing a lizard named Big and attempting to pawn him and trade him for alcohol.
David Martt, 44, and Harley Martt, 18, apparently entered a Morehead, Ky., veterinary hospital last Wednesday and made off with Big, an 18-inch-long bearded dragon that was being kept in a tank in the reception area. Veterinary assistant Ashley Cains told the Morehead News that ‘one was claiming to make an appointment for a puppy and the other was wandering around touching everything. When one of our volunteers went to feed the lizard they discovered it missing.’
In short order, clinic staff had filed an MLR (‘Missing Lizard Report’ -- okay, so we made that term up) with police. Within hours, police had received a report that two men had attempted to sell Big at an area pawn shop called JB’s Gun and Pawn. When that didn’t work, they tried to make an even trade -- booze for a bearded dragon -- at several nearby liquor stores, with about as much success as one might expect from such a venture. Later the same afternoon, the pair were arrested as they attempted to enter an apartment building. Big was returned to the clinic somewhat the worse for wear; captive bearded dragons typically spend a large amount of time basking under heat lamps or on heated rocks, and without these niceties the lizard had developed hypothermia. He is currently recovering at the clinic.
The Martts have been charged with theft by unlawful taking under $500. We bet they could go for a drink right about now.
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-- Lindsay Barnett