Stealing Miss Helen
‘Ocean’s 3’ Attempt a High-Stakes Heist
Put It Down
On a hot summer day in late July 2018, three people entered Miss Helen’s home, forcibly removed her, put her in a stroller, and ran toward their getaway vehicle. This might sound like a typical kidnapping story, but Miss Helen is no ordinary person. She is a 16-inch horn shark living at the San Antonio Aquarium.
New Florida Laws Combat Distracted Driving
O n Sept. 15, 2016, the Scherer family was driving to Ocala when they were caught in a traffic jam. Jordan Scherer eased the car to a stop and prepared to wait. A second later, the world was thrown into chaos. The Scherer’s car had been rear-ended by another driver going 100 mph. Jordan, his wife, Brooke, and their 5-year-old daughter Mallory were all rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. Logan, the family’s 9-year-old son, died on impact. A 2017 study ranked Florida the second-worst state in the United States for distracted driving. The state’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported that distracted driving is responsible for over 50,000 crashes in Florida annually. Distracted driving claims over 230 lives in Florida each year, including the life of Logan Scherer. The driver who hit the family’s car was looking down at his phone at the time of the accident.
Fortunately, their fishy behavior didn’t go unnoticed, and someone alerted the aquarium staff. One perpetrator drove away with Miss Helen in tow, but the other two were stopped by aquarium staff, later confessing to their involvement. Thanks to some observant witnesses and aquarium surveillance, police were able to identify the third thief and obtain a warrant to search his house. As it turned out, he had an extensive aquarium in his home and possibly hoped to add Miss Helen to his collection. After being identified, Miss Helen was returned home safely. The aquarium staff was grateful to have Miss Helen back unharmed, despite her ordeal.“She’s a tough little horn shark, I’ll tell you that,”affirmed Jamie Shank, the assistant husbandry director at the aquarium. No Minor Crime While many animal lovers might disagree, animals are considered personal property, so stealing them is a crime of theft, not kidnapping. The penalties for stealing animals vary depending on each state’s laws, and some states have specific laws regarding animal theft. In Texas, larceny law designates the theft of property valued between $1,500–$20,000 as a felony. In the case of Miss Helen, who’s valued by the aquarium at $2,000, the thieves committed a felony. Also, transporting certain animals requires special permits, which led to additional charges against the three thieves. The Animal Welfare Act, which was adopted in 1966, is the only federal law that regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport, and by dealers. Interestingly, it only applies to warm-blooded animals, so if Miss Helen had needed further protection, she would be left out in the cold.
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