Washington - A 12-foot pet python killed a two-year-old girl in her Florida home Wednesday, police told local media. The albino Burmese python slithered into Shaiunna Hare's bed and suffocated her to death, police said. The snake belonged to the boyfriend of the girl's mother, Jaren Hare, 23.
The python's owner, Charles Jason Darnell, 32, told police he had put the snake in a bag inside a glass aquarium Tuesday night, but saw that it had escaped when he woke up the next morning.
Police said two other children also live in the same house, adding that Darnell has a six-foot boa constrictor.
When Darnell found the python wrapped around Shaiunna, he stabbed the snake until it let the girl go, Tampa Bay Online reported. But Shaiunna was dead by the time the ambulance arrived.
State wildlife officials managed to catch the python. A police spokesman said Darnell could face charges of child endangerment. Wildlife officials said he could also face a misdemeanor charge because he did not have a permit to keep the python.
Burmese pythons, which can grow up to 20 feet, are not native to Florida. They are often imported as pets, but their owners can be unprepared for how large they get.
As the snakes are usually set loose in the Everglades, a growing number has been seen around Florida. In fact, they started breeding in the wild ten years back , according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
