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Missing boa constrictor found in Whitewater

WHITEWATER — Jane Wagner, a Whitewater city employee on vacation, was enjoying her walk Wednesday morning when she came upon a 6-foot 7-inch boa constrictor that had been released July 5 from a Whitewater residence.

Wagner notified Whitewater Parks and Streets Superintendent Chuck Nass, who helped her contain the snake to an area near the Ray Trost Nature Preserve. The snake's owner, Kyle R. Hendrix, was called, and he took the snake away to be removed from the city.

"We're getting a lot of comments on how we took the escapee into custody such as, ‘How many handcuffs does it take to detain a boa constrictor,'" said Whitewater Police Chief Lisa Otterbacher. "It all turned out OK."

The snake escaped captivity during a vandalism at the Whitewater residence, Otterbacher said. Paul J. Sutton is facing charges for releasing the snake, she said.

Hendrix was issued a $145 citation for violating the city's ordinance prohibiting wild animals, dangerous animals, crocodiles or alligators and poisonous snakes and reptiles in the city.

"Mr. Hendrix has been very helpful throughout this by helping us locate and then contain the snake," Otterbacher said. "It was a case of he didn't know about the ordinance prohibiting reptiles."