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Police: Homeless Florida man stole ferret by shoving in pants; Considered a 'special weapon' after allegedly wielding the biting animal
John McGlothlen
Oct. 29, 2009 10:14 am
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Florida (AP) - Police say a homeless man stole a live ferret by stuffing it in his pants.
Thirty-eight-year-old Rodney Bolton is charged with theft over the $129 animal that police say he took from a pet store in Jacksonville Beach, The Florida Times-Union reported.
A 17-year-old witness confronted Bolton in the parking lot and was bitten by the animal after the man allegedly shoved it in the teen's face.
That confrontation makes the ferret a "special weapon" under Florida law. So Bolton also faces battery charges for dangerously wielding the animal.
Calls to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department to see if Bolton has a lawyer were not answered early Thursday.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
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