Cobra On The Loose In Austin, Police Looking For Snake That Killed Its Owner
Texas police are searching for a cobra in connection with an Austin teen’s death. Law enforcement authorities believe the monocled cobra was a pet belonging to the victim, Grant Thompson, 18.
The moncled cobra has not been seen since Grant Thompson’s death. The Austin teen was found in an unresponsive state in a Lowe’s parking lot on Tuesday. The young man reportedly was transported to St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, where he was declared dead shortly after arrival. A cobra missing from an open cage in the teen’s room prompted police officers to believe the deadly snakebites were caused by the monocled reptile.
Thompson, 18, died
Tuesday, July 14, 2015, from an apparent snakebite after emergency medics found him in his car in North Austin. Michael Miller / Temple Daily Telegram
Austin police think the cobra was inside Thompson’s vehicle when it bit him. An autopsy is scheduled to take place today. Monocled cobras reportedly have a “distinctive” circle on its back and possess a tan underbelly. According to police reports, the missing cobra is considered “highly aggressive.”
When paramedics found Grant Thompson in his car they reportedly found that he had 35 puncture wounds on his wrists. The first responders also reportedly found “several” containers inside the vehicle, one of which houses a live snake.
A social media post shared in March, and a Temple Daily Telegram article, state that Grant Thompson was a “passionate animal lover” who worked at a Temple Fish Bowl Pet Express. The Austin teen killed by his pet cobra would reportedly show exotic animals to children at the pet store as a part of his daily duties.
Thompson’s mother first took him to the Temple Fish Bowl Pet Express when he was a baby, and she ultimately bought the pet store in 2013.
The police department is urging anyone who spots the snake or has any information about the reptile to contact them at 512-974-5210. The Austin law enforcement officials ask that citizens call 911 immediately if they encounter the snake, and warn strongly that no one attempt to approach the monocled cobra.
[Images via: Austin Police Department and the Temple Daily Telegram]
