A 64-year-old Enterprise man has been arrested on felony animal cruelty charges for allegedly covering a pet ball python in poison and leaving it to die.
Patrick Grimaldi was arrested on Thursday following an incident reported by the snake’s owner on Nov. 23.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the python’s owner rented a room in Grimaldi’s home but decided to move out after two weeks because Grimaldi was “controlling and verbally abusive to her.”
Deputies say the woman’s move was rushed and she was able to take her two kittens with her, but not her snake.
The victim told investigators that a week after moving out, she received texts and photos from Grimaldi showing the snake had died after having an acid solution poured on it.
A neighbor told investigators she saw the snake dead in its tank “with an empty bottle of Calci-Solve super-strength concentrated descaler next to it.”
According to a press release, the snake died as a result of the poisoning. Investigators write “the inside of the tank was smeared with residue that suggested the snake had been in distress and struggled to escape, but was trapped inside with the lid secured with a strap.”
Grimaldi was booked into the Volusia County jail and is being held on a $2,500 bond.