Poisonous snakes found in Fairfax hotel room
By James Cullum
Police are searching for the owner of 17 snakes, some of them poisonous, left abandoned in the Hy-Way Motel in Fairfax City.
On July 10 police were called to investigate a “suspicious” smell emanating from one of the rooms. Police found the snakes confined in plastic containers. The suspect rented the room on July 6.
Hotel staff told police “they hadn't seen the suspect in three or four days,” said Lt. Bert Peacher, adding, “at this time, we have no idea who it is.”
Twelve of the species were venomous, including African puff adders, cottonmouths, rhinoceros vipers, albino cottonmouths, speckled rattlesnakes and a black-headed python.
A number of the snakes were malnourished, Peacher said. The snakes were removed for transport to the animal zoo in central Virginia.