A man who allegedly tried to make off with a California Desert Tortoise was cited by police for attempting to steal the endangered animal from an adoption event Saturday morning in Balboa Park.
The alleged tortoise-napping happened at a gathering hosted by the San Diego Turtle and Tortoise Society. Exhibitor Erick Lara told OnSceneTV that he was distracted for a moment, and when he turned back to the tortoise enclosure the man was bent over with his hand inside a zippered tote bag.
Lara said that when he counted the tortoises and came up one shy, that’s when he realized the man might be trying to steal one. With the man walking away, he and his brother-in-law confronted the suspected tortoise lifter, and got the rare reptile back.
San Diego police and park rangers responded to the incident. OnSceneTV reports the man was given a citation to appear in court for the alleged theft. OnSceneTV did not identify the suspect and no other information was provided.
The California Desert Tortoise, which live in the Mojave region, are protected by state and federal laws. Its status is listed as “threatened” on the California and Federal Endangered Species Lists.
