Oklahoma: Man Allegedly Wields a Snake, Robs Casino Patron

There’s a range of weapons robbers use to commit crimes. From knives to handguns, assault rifles and baseball bats, some culprits will stop at nothing to intimidate their victims and rob them of personal belongings. Generally speaking, in case a weapon is involved the charges and possible sentence against the person may be tougher. Whatever the case may be about robbery weapons, it is not often that stories are heard about a person using an animal to conduct a robbery.

In one such peculiar case from Oklahoma, a 43-year-old man is facing charges after allegedly using a snake to threaten and rob a casino visitor. The same person, likely with the same animal, allegedly also attempted to rob a gas station. Ultimately, the person was identified and apprehended by the Oklahoma City Police. As announced by News On 6, the strange criminal case involves a person with the initials J.M.

The 43-year-old, who allegedly used the snake to intimidate people and rob them, was arrested recently. Earlier this week, the person was charged with animal cruelty and robbery by force. Still, it is important to mention that charges are merely accusations before they are proven beyond reasonable doubt in court.

Msgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police revealed that it is quite uncommon to hear a case where an animal is used as a weapon for a robbery. He acknowledged that such occurrences are extremely rare.

“You don’t see a snake or even an animal for that matter used as a weapon in a robbery very often.“

Msgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police

An Unusual Weapon

The person who was detained was allegedly involved in two incidents. One of the incidents was related to a Remington Park Casino patron, who claimed he was robbed by the 43-year-old. While the visitor was gambling at a slot machine, he saw the suspect who approached him.

In a swift moment, the casino patron saw a snake that the 43-year-old pulled out. The wielding of the snake scared the visitor enough to leave the slot machine and in it was some $400. According to law enforcement, after the encounter, the alleged snake-wielding robber collected the receipt from the slot machine, cashing out some $445.80 and left the casino.

In a separate incident, the same person with the snake allegedly threatened a gas station clerk and other people in the vicinity. Before he was arrested, according to police, the suspect used a pocket knife to cut the head off the snake before throwing it away.