PRIEST RIVER, Idaho — A spur of the moment theft of a pet reptile in North Idaho has left a 19-year-old man facing a misdemeanor charge.
The animal, described as a "bearded dragon lizard" named 'Stumpy,' was stolen from a Priest River pet store and was later located through social media.
Court documents show that Kurtis Barker-Hayden is facing a petty theft charge in the case.
According to a Bonner County sheriff's deputy report, the owners of Priest River Pets on Highway 2 in Priest River reported the theft in late August.
"The owner suspected a group of young adults (3 total) who entered the store around the time of the theft," wrote deputy J. Thompson in an incident report.
The bearded dragon lizard was valued at $70.
The owner of Priest River Pets, documents say, recognized a woman in the group and subsequently located her social media profile. "[Female] had postings showing a lizard consistent with the stolen one and [female] captioning that it was her 'new pet'," wrote Thompson.
When later contacted, the woman said Barker-Hayden stole the lizard from the store and was in possession of the animal.
Barker-Hayden later met with Thompson and handed over the lizard.
"[Barker-Hayden's girlfriend] told me Kurtis stole it from the pet shop, she tried to stop him, but he took it anyways," Thompson wrote. "Kurtis admitted he entered the store, saw the lizard, decided he wanted it, removed it from the cage and stole it. Kurtis did not pre-plan the theft."
Documents show that Barker-Hayden was subsequently arrested on an unrelated warrant.
Bearded dragon lizards, according to retailer Petco, are "arguably the most popular pet reptile, especially for new reptile owners." The company's website lists them as an "incredible pet because of their bonding ability and docile nature."
