The Grand Prairie man responsible for losing his pet cobra in 2021 has been sentenced to 180 days in jail probated over 15 months.
On Tuesday, August 3 around 5:30 p.m., Grand Prairie Police were contacted by animal services about a venomous 6-foot West African Banded Cobra that had escaped its enclosure at a resident's house.
Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREOfficers responded and spoke with the defendant who stated that he purchased two cobras about two weeks earlier after winning a large sum of money off a lottery ticket.
The defendant stated that he fed the snake and left the room for 15 minutes. Upon his return, the cobra was gone. The defendant admitted he did not have a locking mechanism on the enclosure even though it had previously escaped.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP The defendant was charged with "release snake from captivity" under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code.
On July 26, 2023, the jury found the defendant guilty and both parties agreed to a sentence of 180 days in jail probated over 15 months.
