Stolen two-headed snake returns home to museum

ST. LOUIS -- There's a definite down side to swiping a two-headed albino rat snake: There's no good way to disguise the stolen goods.

St. Louis police returned a rare reptile to its museum home Monday, the same day it went missing, after a tipster called in a sighting.

Employees of the City Museum realized the snake was gone from its World Aquarium exhibit in the morning, and it soon became clear someone had broken in.

They called police, who were quickly on the case.

"One of the detectives introduced himself as Ace Ventura, Pet Detective," said Elizabeth Parker, director of the City Museum.

But shortly after St. Louis police went to the museum, a woman called the nearby Belleville, Ill., police, to say she'd seen some teens with a two-headed snake.

Police arrested two suspects without incident.

They said both worked at the City Museum for about a week, but were fired earlier this month. Brandon Smith, 18, of Belleville, Ill., was charged with stealing and second-degree burglary, police said. Details about the other suspect, a juvenile, were not released.

The City Museum, an attraction in downtown St. Louis, is in a former shoe factory and features playground-like rooms and offbeat educational activities.

World Aquarium director Leonard Sonnenschein traveled with a glass case in a police cruiser to pick up the two-headed snake, which was in an Illinois garage.

He was thrilled to have the snake back.

"This is one of the stars of the institution," Sonnenschein said. "This is just an amazing animal."

But, he said, it would have been hard not to draw attention with the reptile outside of the museum setting. Museum officials said the snake will be displayed again, once they better secure its exhibit.