San Antonio Aquarium A horn shark was stolen from the San Antonio Aquarium.
Three people were caught on surveillance video stealing a shark from the San Antonio Aquarium and smuggling the animal out of the building in a stroller, authorities say. The horn shark has since been returned to the aquarium alive and one of the three suspects has been arrested, KSAT-TV reports. You can watch the surveillance video below:
The shark was taken from an area where the public can reach in and pet various species, according to the aquarium. According to the University of Florida, horn sharks are “small sharks” that “have wide heads and blunt snouts, with ridges over their eyes like others in the bullhead shark family. They’re usually a dark grey to light brown, with dark brown or black spots all over their bodies and lobed fins.” The horn shark is “slow moving and nocturnal,” and “they are considered little threat to humans because of their size and teeth structure, but both of their dorsal fins have sturdy spines, and should be handled with care.”
The heist of the horn shark happened Saturday, police said. The trio disguised the small shark as a baby and walked out with it, the video shows. After news reports about the theft, the shark was returned Monday night, according to KSAT. One man is in custody and two suspects, a man and woman, are at large, police said. They have not been identified publicly. They will be facing felony theft charges. The shark, named Ms. Helen, is being acclimated back to the water.
“She’s a little fighter,” Jamie Shank, of the San Antonio Aquarium, told KABB-TV. “She’s a little survivor.” The shark was back in its tank by late Monday evening.
Police told KSAT that the suspects appear to have experience with aquariums and likely went to the San Antonio Aquarium specifically to steal that shark.”It’s very obvious the person knows what he’s looking for and went there specifically for that area,” Leon Valley Police Chief Joseph Salvaggio told KSAT.
Police Thought the Call Reporting the Theft Was a ‘Shark Week’ Prank
Salvaggio told KABB-TV that they initially thought the call about a stolen shark was a joke or prank. “They finally convinced me that it was true somebody had walked in and stole a shark out of [an] aquarium,” Salvaggio told the news station.
“When we first got the call, we thought it was kind of a hoax being that it was Shark Week last week,” Salvaggio told KSAT. “But it turns out someone actually went inside the aquarium there in Leon Valley and stole a horn shark.”
The surveillance video shows one of the suspects, a man, grabbing the shark by the tail while the other two wrapped it into a wet blanket and then carried into a back room. The shark was then put into a bucket and the bucket was then placed into a troller. Spellman told KSAT that the bucket had bleach in it, and that might have shocked the shark’s system. In a Facebook post, the aquarium said:
The 16-inch-long horn shark was stolen from our tide pool exhibit while the attendant was assisting other guests. The suspects staked out the pool for more than an hour to wait for this opportunity.
Security footage indicated that the suspects brought their own net to capture the horn shark. After grabbing the shark they entered into one of our filter rooms where they poured the bucket of bleach solution that employees used for the disinfection of tools into our cold water exhibit filtration system, causing harm to other wildlife. (If it weren’t for the fast acting experienced staff, the bleach would have done more damage.) They then used the sanitation bucket to aide in transportation of the shark into the stroller and hurried up the stairs and out to the parking lot.
The aquarium added, “We have been working closely with Leon Valley and San Antonio police departments to recover the animal and apprehend the suspects. We are offering a reward for any tips that lead to the recovery of this animal. We value the lives of all of our animals and take pride in the care that we are able to give them as well as the education that we are able to give to the general public about these treasured species.”
San Antonio Aquarium manager Jenny Spellman told the news station, “Just absolute shock. I couldn’t believe that somebody would do something like that.”
Spellman said after a staff member noticed something was wrong, she went to confront the suspects in their truck outside of the aquarium. But Spellman told KSAT that the suspects would not let her search their truck. One of the suspects said his son was sick and he needed to leave and then drove off, leaving the other man and woman behind, Spellman said. Police were able to track down the suspects through the truck’s license plate.
“When the suspect came home, he gave us consent to go in the house. He took us right to where the shark was and pointed (her) out,” Salvaggio told the San Antonio Express-News. “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.”
The chief added that the suspect had an entire aquarium at his 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. We have a lot to do, but we’re happy tonight to get the shark back home.”
The Shark Was Found ‘Thriving’ at the Home Where It Was Taken & Authorities Think the Suspects Have Experience Working With Animals
Police and aquarium officials did not expect the shark to survive, but the horn shark was found “thriving” in the home where it was taken, according to KABB. The suspects appear to have had experience working with animals, the news station reports. “Luckily the thief was someone who knew what he was doing,” Salvaggio said.
The horn shark is valued at about $2,000, police said.
“It’s a very small shark that is found in the Pacific Ocean. We don’t have any in the Gulf of Mexico. They are bottom dwelling. They actually do very well in captivity, so they are often found in public aquariums,” Texas Parks and Wildlife Science Director Michael Fisher told KENS-TV.
A Facebook post popped up on a local buy-and-sell Facebook group, offering the shark for $300, but that appears to have been a prank. The police chief told KENS that they were not aware of the post and it was not a factor in the arrest of the suspects.
The one suspect who is in custody is a 38-year-old man. He has been charged with theft of an item valued between $750 to $2,500, the San Antonio Express-News reports.
