Three Men Caught On Tape Stealing Shark From Aquarium Exhibit, Hiding It In Stroller
July 31 2018, Updated 1:50 p.m. ET
Two out of three suspects have confessed to having stolen a horn shark from an exhibit at San Antonio Aquarium this Saturday, just after the organization released a statement about the bizarre theft.
According to the Leon Valley Police Department, a man reached into the tank and grabbed the shark on July 28 at around 2:15 p.m. He then concealed it in a baby stroller, and left the aquarium.
On Monday, the aquarium shared a statement detailing the incident as well as a surveillance video of the men stealing the shark.
"On Saturday, July 28th one of our employees reported seeing suspicious activity from three people around one of our interactive shark touch pools. Management caught up to the suspects in the parking lot and were denied access to both searching the vehicle and the stroller," they 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."
In the footage, one man is seen putting the shark inside a small net before rushing out of the exhibit with another man and leaving a trail of water behind them.
Before stealing the shark, the men poured bleach into other fish tanks in order to distract the aquarium employees.
"If it weren't for the fast acting experienced staff, the bleach would have done more damage," said the aquarium in their statement.
The men reportedly put the shark into a sanitation bucket, only to dump it into a stroller before exiting the aquarium.
"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," concluded the aquarium's statement.
After the incident, a Facebook user came across a horn shark ad, in which a man was attempting to sell the creature for $300. The post was later deleted and it's uncertain whether the man who posted it was involved in the robbery.
Thankfully, this Tuesday, the aquarium was able to retrieve the animal and bring it back to its home. It's unclear what will happen to the thieves.
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