At least 60 venomous snakes removed from Aliquippa home; resident found dead

A man was found dead Tuesday in an Aliquippa home where more than 200 snakes were being kept.

City code enforcement officer Jim Bologna said the man was found in a bathroom and appeared to have puncture marks on his wrist, but he could not say if they were the result of a snake bite. Authorities haven’t released the man’s identity or issued a ruling on the cause of death.

Bologna said at least 60 of the snakes were venomous and were removed from the house at 1325 McMinn St. — along with a venomous lizard and a caiman, which is related to alligators. The snakes, he said, included a cobra and two highly venomous black mambas.

“They are extremely deadly,” he said of the mambas.

Bologna said he was called to the house at 1:15 p.m. to assist police, who responded to an earlier 911 call about an unconscious man there.

In addition to the deceased, the home is occupied by three other adults and a 3-year-old girl, who recently moved to Aliquippa, Bologna said. He said the family, which operates a business selling reptiles, told him there were a total of more than 200 snakes in the home.

Keeping of venomous snakes is prohibited under the city code, Bologna said. He said a team from Off The Hook Exotic Pets removed the reptiles in their existing latched enclosures and is holding them in custody at its Ambridge pet shop, pending potential court proceedings.

He said the owners face a potential fine of up to $1,000 for each prohibited venomous snake.

For now, he said, “They’re not allowed to have them back or transport them over state lines to somebody else.”

Bologna said the snake enclosures were sealed with tape, and the pet shop team checked neighboring properties to make sure none of the reptiles escaped.