Snake Handler Faces Theft Charge

Kathy Plonka/SR File Photo
Hercules, the 8-foot python that was found in a Post Falls yard in September, is still looking for a home after the snake’s caretaker sold it on eBay. Caretaker Matt Harrington (shown above with Hercules Sept. 23), meanwhile, has been charged with grand theft for selling the snake without authorization of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department (the animal’s legal custodian). According to a KCSD report, the python’s caretaker sold the snake to Chris Altringer, 23, for $250 to cover the reptile’s veterinarian bill. An animal control officer contacted KCSD when Altringer resisted efforts to return the snake to county custody. The snake is valued at $1100.