SAN DIEGO — An elderly man was caught trying to steal a rare tortoise Saturday morning from The San Diego Turtle & Tortoise Society exhibit in Balboa Park.
San Diego police officers were dispatched to a community room of Balboa Park around 10 a.m. after they received reports that an elderly man, who had inquired about adopting a Russian Tortoise several times before the event, was caught by staffers shoving a small California Desert tortoise into his shoulder bag.
The San Diego Turtle & Tortoise Society hosted an adoption event when the crime occurred.
"A gentleman decided he wanted to take one [a tortoise] when we were distracted, but luckily I noticed he was bending down. I counted the tortoises, and we were one-off, so I knew he had taken it," said Erick Lara, who was working at the event.
Elderly man attempts to steal tortoise from exhibit in Balboa Park
The man was approached by a person who worked at the event, and he was asked to give the tortoise back.
The suspect complied and handed the animal back to the worker.
San Diego police were called to the scene, but the suspect was not arrested.
The desert tortoise was listed as threatened in an emergency action by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the early 1990s.
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