Help Solve This Snake-Napping

It's not your typical Valentine's Day gift, but we're wondering if love was what prompted one man to steal a pricey snake from an Elk Grove pet shop Tuesday.

The Serpentarium's owner is pretty ticked off at the theft of the $500 Bumblebee Ball python, first reported on CBS13, and is offering a reward for information that could lead to the snake's return.

Security cameras at the store caught a couple entering the store around 11:00 a.m. Tuesday.

"The girl pointed out which snake she wanted and the guy somehow managed to remove the lock," from the snake's case, said Serpentarium owner Robert Coral. Employees didn't notice the theft until later that evening, he said.

The Bumblebee Ball python's brilliant color is created by cross-breeding two other kinds of snake, a Pastel ball python and a Spider ball python, Coral told the Sacramento Bee.

It's not the first such theft at the store, Coral said; in a previous snake-napping, someone made off with a serpent valued at $125. The store upped security, but it seems the locks on the cases could still use an upgrade.

"It's a faulty lock," he said. "If the locks had worked, this wouldn't have happened."

Coral filed a police report Thursday morning, and said he'll give $100 to anyone who can help solve the crime.

Forward your tips to the Elk Grove Police Department at 916-478-8000.