Tortoise Thief Nabbed, Police Say

CLEARWATER, FL — A 41-year-old Largo woman faces criminal charges after Clearwater Police say they connected her with a “pre-holiday heist of a rare tortoise from a pet store.”

The arrest of Nicole Perry was announced Thursday morning. Perry, police wrote in an email to media, was connected with the Dec. 23 theft at Pet Safari, 1577 S. Highland Ave., after surveillance photos of the theft were released.

A tip in the case was called in and police found the missing Sulcata tortoise, valued at $300, at Perry’s Largo home on Wednesday, the email said.

The tortoise has been returned to its rightful owners. Perry was booked into the Pinellas County Jail Wednesday and was later released in lieu of $2,000 bond.

Adult Sulcata tortoise males can weigh more than 200 pounds, according to Reptiles Magazine. They are natives of Africa, but are widely bred in the United States.

Photos courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department