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Pet Python Strangles 2-Year-Old

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 2, 2009 11:49 AM CDT

(Newser) – A 2-year-old Florida girl was strangled to death yesterday by a pet python owned by her mother’s boyfriend, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Charles Darnell noticed that his 8-foot-long albino Burmese python had escaped from its aquarium when he awoke yesterday morning. He found it on top of the girl in her bedroom and immediately began stabbing it.

The girl, who had a bite mark on her head, was dead when emergency crews arrived. Police are questioning Darnell, who could face child endangerment charges, in addition to a misdemeanor for owning a python without a permit. Darnell also has a 6-foot boa constrictor, but its container was secure. Two other young children also live in the house.

Police remove a Burmese python from a home in Oxford, Fla. on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.
Police remove a Burmese python from a home in Oxford, Fla. on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.   (AP Photo/Ocala Star-Banner, Bruce Ackerman)
Police remove a Burmese python from a bag in order to measure it after removing it from a home in Oxford, Fla. on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.
Police remove a Burmese python from a bag in order to measure it after removing it from a home in Oxford, Fla. on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.   (AP Photo/Ocala Star-Banner, Bruce Ackerman)
Police measure a Burmese python after removing it from a home in Oxford, Fla. on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.
Police measure a Burmese python after removing it from a home in Oxford, Fla. on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.   (AP Photo/Ocala Star-Banner, Bruce Ackerman)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
riffran
Jul 3, 2009 6:07 AM CDT
nice choice of boyfriend there mom......did the snake have to fight it's way through a dozen pit bulls to get to the poor child?.......GFG!...Both of those two should be charged, him for all the obvious reasons, and her for being a dumb a**,in the first place
schmidtkoff
Jul 3, 2009 4:38 AM CDT
i agree with all of the animals mentioned except the pit bull, who has been demonized by those who turn an otherwise blank canvas into vicious and tenacious killer. by the way i am not a pit bull owner, but a terrier one. and former borzoi, those who were trained to bring down wolves. gentle creatures. sorry off topic am meandering.
armywife
Jul 2, 2009 11:59 AM CDT
i am a mother and i have to put significant responsibility on the girl's mother's shoulders; she should have told her boyfriend that the snakes werent safe, she should have protected her kids from that possible danger. but she didnt. two adults showed poor judgement and now her little girl is dead. i would not want to have to live with that on my conscience.

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