A bearded suspect allegedly made off with a bearded dragon.
A scruffy Northern California man is accused of swiping a 12-inch juvenile bearded dragon from a local pet store Thursday before taking off.
The suspect — who was sporting a beard, long pants and a Hawaiian shirt — was caught on camera around the time the young reptile vanished from the business on 41st Avenue in Capitola.
“Surveillance video shows a male suspect manipulating the reptile’s cage before our scaly friend was discovered missing. He was seen leaving the area in a lighter-colored older van. The suspect is believed to frequent the area,” the Capitola Police Department said on Facebook.
“Let’s help this little guy to make sure he’s properly cared for! Please share this post to spread the word,” they urged in the post.
The family-owned Pet Emporium — which bills itself as a pet shop offering “animal feeds suitable for any diet, and pet grooming services” — remains at the center of the bizarre reptile mystery.
Open seven days a week, the store sells everything from fish, birds and reptiles to aquarium tanks and aquatic plants.
When reached by the California Post, the shop said it still had not received any update on the missing reptile.
The strange case isn’t the first missing-animal mystery to rattle the area.
In 2020, a Soquel man accepted $1,500 to train a dog — but when the training period ended, prosecutors said he refused to return the pooch or tell its owners where it was.
Police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect to email nsherin@cityofcapitola.gov or call (831) 471-1141.
