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Updated at 4:45 p.m. ET: There is a sad update to a pot bust that included a 5-foot alligator-like creature that was allegedly used by his owner to guard drugs in Castro Valley.
Veterinarians at the Oakland Zoo reported Thursday that Mr. Teeth died overnight.
Dr. Karen Emanuelson said the animal, which looks like an alligator, was actually a dwarf caiman. And when he came to the zoo Tuesday after an unusual drug bust, he was critically ill and non-responsive.
Veterinary staff said they examined Mr. Teeth, took blood samples and determined his prognosis was poor. Emanuelson confirmed Thursday that the animal died sometime in the night, but no one at the zoo would explain or discuss any more. It was not clear why the caiman, thought to be about 16 years old, died, or if guarding drugs at a man's house had any connection to his death.
The odd story of the caiman came to light when Alameda County sheriff's deputies walked into a house earlier this week on the 19000 block of Mount Jasper Drive in Castro Valley to do a routine probation check.
The found the suspect, 32-year-old Assif Mayar, and the drugs and the animal.
Mayar said he acquired the caiman in 1996 to commemorate the death of rapper Tupac Shakur, deputies said.
The caiman was found in a Plexiglas tank in one of the bedrooms and was being used as a deterrent to would-be thieves.
Sgt. J.D. Nelson said when deputies got to the bedroom they found Mr. Teeth "guarding" a 34-pound stash of dried, processed marijuana worth about $100,000."
When NBC Bay Area knocked on the door Wednesday night, the lights at Mayar's home were on and dogs were barking, but no one answered. Neighbors told NBC Bay Area that Mayar and his wife moved into the house about two years ago before their son was born.
Related: Cops respond to shooting, find stripper pole, gators guarding pot plants
A mother of two who didn’t want to be identified said she’d been inside that house before but noticed and heard nothing out of the ordinary. "They’re just family people like us, and she has a little boy, very cute, about 20 months, so of course you wouldn’t suspect or expect anything like this from this neighborhood," she said.
Another neighbor, who also did not want to be named, added: "It doesn’t belong in a neighborhood with little kids, and there are lots of little kids. There’s a school about a block away, and if the thing got out, that could be really dangerous."
Caimans are generally from South and Central America and require a lot of care. They need a heat source, a large pond with extra space, and fresh meat bi-weekly.
Mayar was booked into the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on drug possession and sales charges. It was not immediately clear if additional animal cruelty charges would be considered.
NBC Bay Area's Stephanie Chuang contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Of course that gator is huge.....been sneaking little samples of weed and polishing off pizzas by the dozen!
I believe it was actually the Caimans 34 lb stash! The guy living there knew nothing about it. Caiman are notorius pot heads and will never share their dope!
My mountain lion will share, but then again, it's good "Cali Bud", and after all. He IS a mountain lion.
You can tell he was tokin' up. Look at all the resin on his tongue!!
@Stinkleton -- LMAO! My feelings exactly! Poor Caiman.
When i first saw this story i thought it was my mother in law's obituary.
Then i realized The individual in the photo had too many teeth.
"I know man, I partied last year with a bunch of Caimans, they wouldn't hardly share at all."
how interesting it is that this animal somehow survived right up to the point when the cops removed him from his home. something to think about, seems a little strange doesn't it ?
and how do we know that the owner was not taking perfectly good care of the animal. the author of this article probably has no idea what kind of treatment the animal was given, other than it was ALIVE prior to being taken away from the residence.
the animal was illegal to own though, so it should not have been there or anywhere other than a zoo. I can't help thinking that the death of this animal was not due to the owner's lack of care, made obvious by the timing.
I agree. That's to close to a school. It might escape and decide to go to the school for a snack or maybe a free lunch. Looked like it had been eating weed all that green stuff in it's teeth. Looked like it was in good shape till the fuzz got hold of it.
Now every idiot in America can go: "Ohh, poor gator".
Next
When this was reported this morning early on our local radio station, they reported the officers thought it was already dead because it hadn't moved at all at the time they entered the room. Then it did move, so it's very possible that it was ill before being removed to the zoo and therefore the death over night.
I wonder if the cops tasered and bbq'd the thing, or billy clubbed it too death?
At first I thought they were going to say he used an 'assault rifle' on the cops and got himself killed but what the hey, let's ban assault rifles anyway! Gators don't need them!
Animal cruelty charges should definitely be filed.
FireBlade,
My thoughts exactly. According to the article above:
" Emanuelson confirmed Thursday that the animal died sometime in the night, but no one at the zoo would explain or discuss any more."
Usually these folks leap to share their insight and knowledge. Why not this time? When you take into consideration the dogs that are shot to help facilitate drug raids, I find it difficult to believe that this wasn't a similar situation. Not that I think the Caiman was shot, but I do believe that some "containment attempts" might very well have resulted in traumatic injury.
i believe the trigger happy cops probably DID shoot it and they are just trying to cover it up so they dont get charged with Animal Cruelty
Please, please do not return this animal to this idiot.
Judging that the caiman is now at the zoo undergoing treatment, I seriously doubt it'll be returned. Especially if the man doesn't have legal documentation that shows he has legal custody of the animal. Most likely the animal will stay at the zoo as a new addition to their reptile exhibit once it's recovered and past the 30 day quarantine.
Don't return the animal to this idiot? Return the animal to where, his prison cell? This man is going to jail.
YEAH! Because that gator will be perfectly happy in his new prison... the zoo. Let the damn gator go free.
'Freedom' is a nebulous word here. Where would you suggest he be released? Having been confined for 16 years, he would not know how to survive on his own. Therefore, 'freedom', in this case, is a death sentence.
Maybe they should also charge him with animal cruelty and child endagerment.
The five people above me must not be smart enough to comprehend the title of the article. The caiman is DEAD!!
The Caiman is dead!
The caiman is deceased. I don't think they will be returning him anywhere. I agree with Rontron if they can charge him with both they should.
Lol i was think the same think damn people do you even read the story before posting.
One of them appears to be leaning a little too far to the left. Brainless Liberal!!!
hey dip****s...it WASN'T dead when they commented about it...:D
While I wouldn't put it as @Horton (above) did, I imagine this is an ongoing story and when the people above posted the animal was alive. God I hate it when people name call when they think someone has made a mistake and in this case it wasn't even a mistake just a different timeline for some people.
Okay for those of you making a big deal about not reading the article, maybe you should read yourselves as there was an update and you can compare the time of the update with the time of our posts. So shove it. When we commented on it, there was no news the animal had died.
In regards to the update, now they can add an animal cruelty charge on top of whatever else they have for the guy.
"the idiot" as you say has owned that reptile since tupac was killed, meaning he obviously took pretty good care of it or it would not have lived that long. Knowing the sadists who make up the police force and the DEA they probably maced or tazered the animal and that is why the vet is refusing to comment on what caused it's death. The cops in recent years have taken it upon themselves to shoot peoples dogs right in front of their children while raiding the house for a few spindly pot plants so you can just imagine what they would do if the walked in and found Mr. Teeth inbetween them and 35 lbs of weed.
To the @!$%#s that think you're so much smarter than everyone else, the posters who commented about returning the caiman did so before the article was updated to say it had died. Easy to figure out if you actually paid attention to details but thinking you are so much smarter you don't bother. Turning it into a liberal/con thing was particularly stupid so cudos to common sense is dead(but ignorance is alive and well).
To posters who posted after 4:45 PM..you do understand what this means: Updated at 4:45 p.m. ET:
If this animal grew up in this house he probably died of shock after they moved him. Some animals, while they can be killing machines, can be very sensitive to change in their environment and succumb to stress quite easily.
toolbags
Commonsense, et al: When comments were posted that you refer to, the animal was in the hospital. MSN has updated the article. Stop being rude.
R.I.P., Mr. Teeth. I'm sorry you had such a miserable life.
Ha Ha MSN trolled you
@Mozzie - "R.I.P., Mr. Teeth. I'm sorry you had such a miserable life."
Chillin' out guarding 34lbs of dank doesn't sound too bad to me.
Hey...Why don't you volunteer to live in a plexi-glass tank with nothing but weed to keep you company. But you might even get some fresh raw meat thrown in your tank twice a week...Should keep you just as content as the caiman was for the next 16+ years until the cops come to take you away to stick you in a steel-barred cage...if you survive that long.
How big of a cube would 34 pounds of marijuana form?
big
lol square
Waste of taxpayer money, legalize.
Agree! Legalize! Caimans for everyone!
you can't make this stuff up...and calif again....ban gator ownership quickly....gov't will hold hearings...
@Mike - I know where you are going with this BUT actually caiman (and nearly all wildlife) are banned from ownership in California.
it's already illegal you idiot. not everything is about guns or the man trying to keep you down.
Marijuana is illegal because Christians are not happy unless they are hurting somebody. All our prohibition laws and War-on-Drugs originated in our chapels.
Why must Christianity be such an enemy to all forms of liberty?
I am praying for you.
twodogsloving You better throw some water on those dogs. There stuck together praying.
They aren't praying, lol, their prayers were answered!
JEM
While I agree that pot laws should be eliminated, you are dead wrong in assigning blame. If you read history, marijuana laws, like laws for opium, were enacted for racist reasons, to slow immigration. Pot laws were enacted against Mexicans, and opium laws against Chinese.
twodogsloving Good answer even better sense of humor. LOL!
What's funny is that the book of Genesis (1:29) says otherwise. But hey, I guess that's nothing new since the bible is a contradiction in and of itself.
JEM - Marijuana is illegal because Christians are not happy unless they are hurting somebody
That's not really fair, is it? I agree that "Christians" have some big hang-ups, but "want to hurt people" is no more fair than saying gun owners want to shoot people.
Throughout the course of human history, pleasure has often led to bad outcomes, (e.g. roman solider has sex with daughter and leaves patriarch with extra mouth to feed), hence religious restrictions on pre-marital sex. If we are to progress beyond this kind of cause-and-effect thinking, then we, as a species, will need to come to grips with ourselves and our want for pleasure. Religion IS in conflict with our truer nature, but to label one or another as wanting to cause hurt is unfair. This from a non-Christian...think deeper!
@all out - great, well thought out post. Too many haters on both sides of the bible out there and yours is the voice of sanity. Thanks
It is rather presumpyuous of you to think it is only church-going Christians who are not thrilled about it I personally don't care if adults want to get high as long as they are not doing anything that requires any concentration. I am more concerned about young people with potential to spend their days high all the time...Not very condusive to making responsible decisions. I have seen firsthand how it causes dropping out of school, messing up at your menial job, not showing up, and getting fired, etc...It isn't only Christians who see the possible harm it can cause with lack of ambition being one of them. Christians are not the only ones who vote in this country, you know.
What about Christians who go to church every week and think weed should be legalized..?
(We do exist. Even Pat Robertson says it should be legalized--not that I'm a Pat Robertson fan.)
He had to have a gator... Pitbulls are banned in his neighborhood..
LOL as stupid as this is it did make laugh.. I bet the coppers were like wth is that !!!
Well ... ... ...
http://www.tv.com/shows/the-jack-benny-program/jack-has-a-sick-alligator-157328/
AIRED: 12/11/64 Jack talks an unsuspecting veterinarian into making a house call. He leads the doctor through the dungeon underneath his house, past his ancient security guard, and to the surprise patient: a sick alligator that lives in...
http://www.1channel.ch/watch-716329-The-Jack-Benny-Program-Jack-Has-a-Sick-Alligator
yeah right, this is very interesting...have an aligator guarding your personal stuff...
watch it on Aligator Found Dead
If marijuana were legal, caimans would not be needed to guard it.
If Caiman were legal, there shouldn't have beeb a problem.
You can legally posses Caimans in the US you retard. American Alligators you can not.
Was the "retard" comment needed? Did it enhance your comment in any way?
@Brian - caymans are not legal to own in the state of California. Actually if it has not already happened, caymans will probably soon be banned for ownership in the US because they are basically "throw-away" pets and as a non- native animal they are causing huge problems in the state of Florida especially where they compete (and win) for food, thus decimating native animals. They get too big, get more dangerous and owners just let them go. In colder areas they just die out but in warm wet climates (like Florida) they thrive.
Actually caiman are smaller than Gators but much more aggressive. having lived in Florida for the last 24 years and having dealt with more than a few nuisance gators , caiman are more dangerous
Yes the retard comment was needed people just have to get in there un educated two cents in so they can bash on anyone affiliated with weed even if they are responsible, chillin and workin.
I think the neighbors were over reacting when they were trying to stress the dangers of this man having a caiman in their neighborhood. I would be more concerned if a vicious pit bull got loose than a Caiman.
I'd be more concerned with the clientele of a drug dealer coming into my neighborhood.
drug dealers actually make for great neighbors. ours keeps his activities on the hush and quiets down around 10 to let us sleep and even though you're not supposed to carry guns in CA, he sure does and he defends our neighborhood very well. He's a smart guy so he keeps the cops away too. Win/Win for everybody.
@SpcTorres: You obviously know nothing about American Pit Bull Terriers or "pit bull" type dogs. Before you spout off drivil that you've heard, go to your local pound and visit the numerous "pit bull" type dogs that are stuck there with no one to adopt them because of comments like yours. 99.9% will be coming up to the chain link fence wiggling and so happy to see anyone who will give them an ounce of attention. They are lovely dogs that have gotten a bad rap because of their strength. I know - I rescued one of a pound "Kill" list. Best dog I have ever had (and I have had some really great dogs). I dare you to give one a chance and find what it really means to have the privilege of owning one.
A probation check for a disturbing the peace violation?? Only in crazy land...nice waste of resources. No wonder CA is flat broke...and this is the model that the Obama administration wants to use for the rest of us.
Oh please wake up, your showing your little intelligense!
Pot meet kettle. "your" vs. "you're" and "intelligense" vs. "intelligence"
omg that was funny
DfromSpencer, "you're" introduction to irony, and intelligence...
are you awake yet ?
LOL actually they just announced that we have a surplus of money in CA. nice try though.
Hahahahahahahahah. Protect your weed at ALL costs.
It's Sargent Stadanko!!
Was it a drug overdose?!?! If so, now there is a stark drug abuse lesson. Just say NO!
Hay That's one ugly dog you got there buddy!
Crikey! They put him "down unda"?
Was it a drug overdose?!? Now there is a stark message! Just say NO!
you cannot overdose on marijuana. How about this for a stark message? Learn a little something before judging.
Poor little crock, died in the line of duty!!! I guess that guy had no idea as to how to keep the poor thing alive??? Probably too stoned to notice it was hungry???
What creeps to keep an animal like this in a house. A million times worse than their drug making/dealing.
YES, add animal cruelty charges! The little crock was horribly mistreated! What is wrong with people; people want and want and want EVERYTHING, but cannot even give a decent life to an animal/pet??!! Then don't get yourself a pet, you selfish bastard.
Wait, wasn't this potgator doing fine before the feds came in to make the bust? Its owner should have been a vet.
Exactly, The Gator did not die, until this story came up. And now all of a sudden the gator is dead. I bet if they just let these peeps alone, the gator would be alive and pissed as usual.
my thoughts exactly, I'm glad someone said it. how interesting it is that this animal somehow survived right up to the point that the cops removed him from his home. something to think about, seems a little strange doesn't it ?
and how do we know that the owner was not taking perfectly good care of the animal. the author of this article probably has no idea what kind of treatment the animal was given, other than it was ALIVE prior to being taken away from the residence.
According to the article the guy owned the animal since 1996. The place is raided, the animal is alive, animal has lived there for over 15 years, animal is taken by police, a few hours later the animal is dead. "Abusive owner" ??????????
a 16 year old alligator must've had a sizely and healthy enclosure, these stories are just edited to get knowledgeable thinker's blood pressure up about the bitch ass federal gov't or the crazy neigbor faggots their two faggy cents in.
I think he should be charged with animal cruelty. I cant believe he had a baby in the house- what if it got out? And he had dogs. I remember a story on Animal PLanet about a guy that had some sort of illegal snake and it got out and when he got home he couldn't figure out why his dog didn't meet him at the door... The snake ate the 80 pound dog... But this poor thing being kept in a plexiglass case when it needs to swim and have space- they probably weren't feeding it right either... I also dont get how getting a gator could commemorate the death of Tupac either...
You don't get alot of things, it's called not knowing @!$%# for facts and spreading you brainless and false opinionated garbage into these discussions.
@!$%# U MSN
Mr.Teeth was over heard telling the officer" I pity the fool" who try and get my weed.
See how rediculous cannabis prohibition is?????
In a war on pot smokers, we are unarmed. But the DEA has AK47s. So we use crocs. Seems reasonable enough to me. Free the weed!!!!
The gator was fine until the doctors gave him psychotropic drugs to help him.