Snakes alive!

October 12, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

STRUTHERS

Animal control officer Dave Nelson has seen a lot over his career. But serving a search warrant late Friday afternoon may have put the icing on the cake.

Nelson, of the Mahoning County Dog Warden’s Office, said more than 150 snakes and at least eight large iguanas were found inside the home at 438 Fifth St.

Nelson said among the breeds of snakes were cobras, rattlesnakes and African tree snakes, all of which are poisonous. He said he has dealt with those types of snakes from time to time, but never has he dealt with that many in one location.

“The basement is filled with tub after tub of snakes,” Nelson said. “I’ve never seen them in this type of mass quantities.”

The snakes’ owner, Joseph McCollum, 46, will face charges of keeping exotic animals and child endangering because a 12-year-old child lives in the home, Nelson said.

Nelson said he had some help from the Reptile House in Cleveland, but he also added that more trucks were being called in to help haul away the snakes.

Police were first on the scene about 5 p.m. Nelson said he expected to be there for a few hours after that because he figured it would take that long to round up the snakes and have them transported somewhere for safe keeping.

Nelson said police were first tipped off earlier this week when the homeowner went to St. Elizabeth Health Center to be treated for a bite from a rattlesnake and hospital staff told police about why the homeowner was there.

The man left before he could be treated, but he returned to the hospital Friday to be treated for complications from the snakebite and was not at the house when the warrant was served, Nelson said.

Nelson said he and humane officers removed several boxes that included poisonous rattlesnakes, cobras, African tree snakes and other breeds Friday evening from the home.

Nelson said poisonous and nonpoisonous snakes were found in every room of the two-story duplex except the kitchen and bathroom. Most were in boxes and cages, though some were loose, he added.

Police have charged McCollum, 46, with child endangering and having dangerous animals for sale or auction, a first-degree misdemeanor. Also charged with child endangerment is McCollum’s girlfriend, 45-year-old Michele Barrett. A 12-year-old boy lives with the couple. The boy is the couple’s son, according to Vindicator news partner 21 WFMJ-TV.

Detective Jeff Lewis of the Struthers Police Department said McCollum was not licensed to house the snakes, and that he violated a city ordinance prohibiting exotic animals in a residence. He speculated that McCollum was breeding a number of the animals to sell.

McCollum and Barrett run The Boa Store, an online store that sells boa constrictors, according to 21 WFMJ-TV.

Nelson estimated that at least 20 of the snakes were poisonous, saying that wildlife officials were removing the most-dangerous ones from the home first. Those snakes were to be taken to a sanctuary near Lexington, Ky., and the nonvenomous ones were to go to a sanctuary in the Cleveland area.

Also assisting were the Struthers Fire Department, the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Herps Alive!, a Cleveland Heights reptile rescue facility.

McCollum remains at St. Elizabeth Health Center for treatment of the rattlesnake bite he suffered Wednesday.

Contributor: Sean Barron