‘Bob’ was slashed, stabbed and left for dead
Bob, an endangered African spurred tortoise, was slashed and stabbed after
being stolen from his home. The red tube shown in the photo is a feeding tube.
VENTURA, Calif. - A man who police believe tortured an endangered tortoise
by trying to cut him out of his shell and throwing him against a wall was arrested
Thursday.
The 25-year-old African spurred tortoise, named Bob, was slashed and stabbed
after being stolen from the home of an autistic boy. After he was brutalized, the
turtle was dumped in brush behind an apartment complex and an anonymous caller
told the family where to find him.
Witnesses to the torture provided information that helped lead to the arrest of Jose
"Tony" Mosqueda, 18, of Ventura, who was booked at the county jail for investigation
of cruelty to animals and grand theft, police said.
"It's a good feeling. It's kind of neat," Sgt. Jack Richards said. "It just really pulled at
some heartstrings and it's good to have someone in custody."
The turtle is recovering at Turtle Dreams, a Montecito rehabilitation center. He
remained in guarded condition and was being fed through a tube in his neck.
‘Coming out of his shell’
"He's getting more relaxed and coming out of his shell" more often, said Jeanie Vaughan,
the center's owner. "If he continues without any infection, I think he's going to be fine."
Jose "Tony" Mosqueda, 18, of Ventura, Calif., in a booking photo
Earlier this week, he gave owners Dorothy and Bill Sullivan some hope when he reached
a key milestone in his recovery: bringing his head out of his shell and taking his first steps.
The tortoise collapsed but then managed to take eight steps.
"When he finished, he had a tear in his eye ... as did the rest of us," Dorothy Sullivan
said. "It was an excellent, great sign."
Dorothy Sullivan said that she and her son danced with happiness when they heard of the
arrest. Her son has not been sleeping well since the attack, she said.
"His security fell apart," she said. "He was afraid that somebody was going to come and
steal him and take him away and hurt him."
"Now he feels safe. Now he can go out and play," she said.
The family has installed security cameras and an alarm on the backyard fence so that Bob
will be safer when he returns.
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A hurting tortoise could be laying in the knee-deep of a lagoon, but thankfully 'Bob' was laying in the brush.
We thank our lucky stars for that miracle.
In a world of woe -- A.I.D.S run amok in Africa, pedophile priests, and Hammerin' Hank on the brink of eclipse, we find a story we can all rally around!
[align=center]You GO Bob!!!!![/align]
